Graphene Coating: introduction and market status - Page 2

Sparc Technologies has announced that Petro Vietnam Paint will incorporate its ecosparc graphene additive into the company’s PERAPHENE range of steel protective coatings, targeting use in highly corrosive environments.

Petro Vietnam Paint’s decision follows both in‑house testing and third‑party validation, which reportedly showed improved anti‑corrosion performance compared to other graphene materials currently evaluated. The ecosparc‑enhanced PERAPHENE products are expected to become commercially available later this year for applications in marine, offshore, industrial and infrastructure markets.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced that it has submitted an additional application to the United States Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA") for the manufacture and sale of graphene and graphene coatings (THERMAL-XR®), lubricants (G® LUBRICANT) and other graphene fluids in the United States. GMG expects to obtain this approval by the end of June 2027.

This application is in addition to the existing approval under PMN P-25-0018, which authorizes the Company to export, distribute, sell, use and dispose of graphene coatings across multiple industries in the United States.

Nova Graphene has announced a new research and development collaboration with UK-based Salt Separation Services LLC, supported by third-party research and testing from Memorial University. The initiative is being advanced under Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) program in conjunction with Seaspan Shipyards in North Vancouver.

The collaboration will focus on the continued development of Nova Graphene’s CarbonEra™ graphene-enhanced marine coatings. These advanced materials are designed to improve performance, durability, and longevity in demanding marine environments, while supporting innovation in next-generation coating technologies.

BW Epic Kosan (BWEK), a leader in LPG, petrochemicals and specialty gas transportation, has expanded its partnership with GIT Coatings to advance proactive hull management across its LPG fleet. Five LPG gas carriers have been coated to date using GIT's biocide-free graphene-based hull coating technology, with one additional vessel currently in dry dock.

The partnership builds on strong operational results from BWEK's adoption of GIT's hard foul-release coating, combined with proactive cleaning using onboard robotic technology and dedicated advisory support. A case study presented at a recent conference tracked one LPG carrier through more than 12 months of commercial operation, documenting both out-of-dock performance gains and the ability to maintain a clean hull during service.

Graphene Manufacturing Group (GMG) has announced that its THERMAL-XR graphene coating solution is being applied to air conditioning units at two luxury residential towers under construction on Australia’s Gold Coast in Queensland. The project involves coating between 300 and 600 air conditioners at GMG’s spray booth facility in Brisbane.

The company said the coating is designed to improve energy efficiency, reduce corrosion and extend the operating life of HVAC equipment. "Great to see two of the largest towers in Australia using THERMAL-XR on their air conditioners to save energy for the apartment owners and tenants as well as limiting corrosion and extending the air conditioners' life,” GMG CEO Craig Nicol said in a statement.

Plaid Technologies has provided an update on its ongoing collaboration with Graphene Nano Works (“GNW”) to evaluate and advance a proprietary graphene-based coating technology designed to enhance the performance, survivability, and stealth characteristics of next-generation drone systems across aerial, marine, and ground domains.

As part of these ongoing efforts, the Company has recently delivered a batch of its high-quality graphene materials to Dr. Ian Flint for testing and validation in coating applications relevant to drone systems. This work is intended to further assess performance characteristics and support the continued advancement of discussions regarding a potential joint venture between the parties.

Sparc Technologies has announced a commercial milestone for its graphene-based ecosparc additive, with AkzoNobel planning to release an ecosparc‑enhanced version of its heavy-duty Interzone 954 protective coating in the Australian market starting May 2026.

AkzoNobel will initially offer the ecosparc-enhanced Interzone 954 on a made-to-order basis via its local manufacturing facility in Australia. The launch follows more than six years of ecosparc research and development by Sparc, alongside several years of collaboration with AkzoNobel that has included extensive laboratory testing and over 21 months of field trials on steel infrastructure in corrosive environments.

Royalton Coating Systems has announced a collaboration with PETRONAS Technology Ventures (PTVSB), the technology commercialization arm of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), to validate a graphene-enhanced underwater epoxy coating aimed at improving corrosion protection in marine and industrial environments.

The partnership focuses on upgrading Royalton’s ROYALPOXY UW 410 underwater epoxy system with ProShield+™, a graphene-based additive developed by PETRONAS. The enhanced coating is currently undergoing evaluation for use in harsh conditions, including offshore platforms, pipelines, jetty structures, and marine vessels - applications where continuous exposure to seawater, humidity, and chemicals significantly accelerates material degradation.

First Graphene (FGR) has announced it has entered a binding Asset Purchase Agreement to acquire all manufacturing, intellectual property and development assets of Ionic Industries and its subsidiary Imagine Intelligent Materials. FGR views this acquisition as a strategic and cost-efficient opportunity to integrate advanced graphene coatings technologies developed over more than a decade of research and commercialization activity.

Following a comprehensive due diligence process, First Graphene identified strong technical and commercial alignment with the Companies' graphene formulation platforms, which have already demonstrated successful application across multiple real-world use cases. Under the Agreement, First Graphene will acquire production infrastructure, intellectual property, and established sales and distribution channels for a total consideration of AU$250,000 (around US$180,000) in cash and shares.

Sparc Technologies has entered into a Letter of Intent (LOI) with HydroGraph Clean Power to evaluate the use of HydroGraph’s Fractal Graphene in Sparc’s ecosparc® additives for protective coatings.

The LOI follows successful testing undertaken by Sparc incorporating HydroGraph’s Fractal Graphene within commercial water-based coating systems, which demonstrated positive performance benefits. Following execution of the LOI, Sparc will undertake ISO 12944 cyclic corrosion testing (4,200 hours) within commercially available solvent-based coatings. ISO 12944 is widely recognized as the premier international standard for assessing the corrosion protection of steel structures by protective coating systems. Subject to successful testing outcomes, the parties intend to negotiate a definitive commercial supply and collaboration agreement relating to Sparc’s ecosparc® additives.