Three tonnes of First Graphene’s additive delivered ahead of UK concrete trials

ASX-listed additives developer and manufacturer First Graphene has announced that over three tonnes of its PureGRAPH-CEM product has arrived in the UK, ahead of scheduled concrete pouring in May for trials in a major road infrastructure project.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Perth-headquartered company said the next phase of trials with the UK’s biggest cement maker, Breedon Group, will aim to “validate at an industrial scale the results achieved through laboratory work” undertaken by Kirton Concrete Services. The lab work demonstrated up to 16 per cent improvement in compressive strength, according to First Graphene.

The slabs are to be verified through material testing to industry standards and will support larger-scale programs scheduled for mid-year, the company said.

The application will also make use of “a simplified process” for combining the additive with cement, reducing “both the overall cost and complexity” ahead of anticipated commercial opportunities.

CEO Michael Bell said in the update that the company “is making exceptional progress in the cement and concrete sector, with trial results and subsequent commercial interest further reiterating the need for our PureGRAPH.” 

First Graphene also shared that it had provided PureGRAPH-enhanced mortar to English chemical manufacturer Lianhetech Seal Sands for a small-scale trial, and delivered PureGRAPH for use in a cement slab for a collaborative R&D project in South Africa including Stellenbosch University, Glade Chemicals, AFRIMAT, and Kindling Inc.

Picture: credit First Graphene

Further reading

First Graphene’s new graphene additives markets

First Graphene and team begin UK graphene-in-cement trials

First Graphene, Bisley & Company reach distro deal

First Graphene launches new cement and concrete additives

A concrete example of one wonder-material’s progress