NeoGraf Solutions, a developer and manufacturer of natural and synthetic graphite sheet and powder, has signed an exclusive technology partnership agreement with First Graphene Limited, an Australian supplier of high-performance graphene products.
According to the companies, the 10-year deal sets the stage for explosive growth for NeoGraf’s graphene products in a range of U.S. markets and applications, including coatings, adhesives, sealants and elastomers (CASE).
The agreement is part of NeoGraf’s growth plan and ongoing investment in the highly dynamic graphene market space, according to Jon Taylor, NeoGraf product manager. “This agreement will fuel growth for NeoGraf across all our target markets,” Taylor said. “Our partnership with one of the world’s preeminent graphene producers is a natural extension of our Graf-X™ product line.”
According to the companies, the agreement provides NeoGraf with graphene products and solutions that extend its range and industry reach and expand its position as a graphene technology company in North America. NeoGraf will sell First Graphene Ltd.’s PureGRAPH® products under its Graf-X™ brand. The companies say the 10-year pact to develop and grow the U.S. graphene market is subject to performance measures that commence with minimum volume commitments increasing five times the initial volume over the life of the agreement.
The deal provides a path for PureGRAPH® products into several established and emerging sectors in the United States, according to Michael Bell, First Graphene managing director and CEO. “Not only is NeoGraf a well-known, U.S.-based company, it has a strong reputation and relationship with key organizations in target industries that know and understand how graphene can benefit them.”
NeoGraf Solutions, which has more than 140 years of product innovation in the carbon and graphite industry, characterizes the deal as “a transformative development.” In CASE applications, graphene can achieve the properties of competitive materials such as conventional graphite, carbon black, aluminum oxide, boron nitride, and chromium at lower loading levels. In marine coatings, graphenes are anti-corrosive and can improve a ship’s fuel efficiency by reducing drag due to hull biofouling. They also prevent crack propagation in adhesives and deliver improved wear reduction over typical graphite in lubricant applications. Advanced graphene helps to solve general corrosion problems by offering a non-toxic alternative to corrosion-resistant materials containing chromium, cobalt and cadmium.