First discovered in 2004, Graphene is still in high demand owing to its chemical, physical, electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. Recently, Brazilian nanotechnology company Gerdau Graphene has introduced ultra-strong graphene-enhanced masterbatch formulas for plastics, including polyethylene (PP) and polypropylene (PE) that can Increase plastics' performance while reducing the use of raw material by 30 percent. As compared to the traditional materials, the new Graphene-enhanced plastic will also help improve its sustainability footprint. Get to know more about the material in detail below at SURFACES REPORTER (SR):
Also Read: Research: Graphene Helps in Lowering Body Temperature! Can it Aid in Building Design Too?
As per Gerdau, Graphene is one to ten atom-thick sheets of densely-compacted carbon that can be transformed for multiple, including industrial materials and is known to be one of the strongest materials on Earth till now. The inventors of Graphene were awarded Nobel Prize in chemistry for creating such a pioneering material.
The firm developed the next-generation material at a Brazilian government-funded advanced material center in São Paulo. These were created in collaboration with Brazil’s EMBRAPII SENAI/SP Advanced Materials Unit and will be used in an array of industrial applications within Gerdau’s factories. The first manufacturing units are estimated to be delivered in the second half of 2022 in Brazil and will extend to the Americas in 2023.
Graphene Strengthen The Plastic Matrix
According to Gerdau, Graphene can be combined with plastics to increase its matrix strength, making it stronger. Further, the addition of graphene also augments resistant properties against gases and liquids, increasing protection from oxidation, weathering, and UV light. Moreover, it also improves thermal and electrical conductivity. One recent study also proved the antimicrobial properties of graphene and how it can be easily recycled.
The firm is planning to create graphene additives for virgin resins and post-industrial and post-consumer recycled plastics and polymers. This will include polypropylene (PE), polyethylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), and PVC, to name a few.
Also Read: Wonder Material Graphene
Reduction in the Use of Raw Material
The company asserts that graphene-enhanced plastics can lower raw material usage by 30%.
According to the firm, every year 23 million tonnes of PE and 8 million tonnes of PP are produced in America. Reducing the amount of raw PE and PP required to make final plastic products by 30 percent could save as much as 9.3 million tonnes from being made and discarded.
New material was also unveiled in 2020 by the UK-based company- Toraphene which mixes biopolymers that seems to compost and biodegrade without intervention with graphene. The company declares the material to be stronger, thinner, and less permeable than substitutes due to the inclusion of graphene.
Keep reading SURFACES REPORTER for more such articles and stories.
Join us in SOCIAL MEDIA to stay updated
SR FACEBOOK | SR LINKEDIN | SR INSTAGRAM | SR YOUTUBE
Further, Subscribe to our magazine | Sign Up for the FREE Surfaces Reporter Magazine Newsletter
Also, check out Surfaces Reporter’s encouraging, exciting and educational WEBINARS here.
You may also like to read about:
This New Material Can Capture Toxic Pollutants From Air | University of Limerick | Ireland | SR Material Update
3D forms of Graphene
Bioplastic Made of Forest and Farm Waste Locks in Carbon for Centuries | Made of Air
And more…