Zenyatta Ventures has announced that the next phase to test a graphene-enhanced concrete admixture is progressing through their Collaboration Agreement with Larisplast, an Israeli business that specializes in the field of concrete admixtures.
The 10 kg market sample of high-purity graphite that was sent to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel (BGU) will allow for the testing and optimization of a much larger volume of concretes. Zenyatta and Larisplast have both received grant funding from the Canada-Israel Industrial R&D Foundation under the Ontario-Israel Collaboration.
The scientific and engineering data obtained will yield valuable information for potentially designing a larger scale demonstration plant. In 2016 BGU demonstrated that the addition of the Company’s graphene into concrete can achieve a faster curing time and a superior mechanical performance that inhibits premature failure and tolerates large forces like those produced during earthquakes or explosions. Also, this new admixture has the potential to reduce the amount of cement that will be used in construction, thereby considerably cutting carbon dioxide emissions related to its production.