MATERIALS | NANOCOMPOSITES
resistance, thermal properties and processing. They are available in various forms, including powders and masterbatches, directly from the company or globally through its distributors, Thomas Swan & Co, Gerdau Graphene, and Hubron International.
GEM X23M – 10% graphene nanoplatelets in PP Source: Black Swan Graphene
zirconates from Kenrich form atomic monolayers on the carbon surface via proton coordination, in situ, helping exfoliation and preventing reagglomera- tion. In addition, the titanate or zirconate reacts with the polymer phase, forming covalent bonds between the graphene and the polymer, which allows stress transfer over the graphene-polymer interface, to improve impact strength and flexibility.” Monte said that this bond has been shown to have long-term strength in aging tests.
“So much know-how goes into using this technol-
ogy properly,” he said. There are different methods for appropriately coupling in situ, depending on the formulation of the compound, the polymer type, the equipment used, and other variables. Once the right level and processing conditions are identified for a given situation, the additive will perform, Monte said. “I predict that titanates and zirconates will be for graphene composites what silanes are for fibreglass composites,” he concluded. Canada-based Black Swan Graphene launched
its GraphCore 01 family of graphene nanoplatelets products for plastics. The additives can improve mechanical properties, as well as barrier, chemical
14 COMPOUNDING WORLD | October 2024
Graphene grows Black Swan announced a strategic partnership in January this year with Hubron, which specialises in plastic masterbatch and conductive compound manufacturing. An aim of the collaboration is to facilitate commercial adoption of graphene in a range of sectors including automotive, construction, consumer goods, food packaging, and industrial. Black Swan reports that in industrial trials it has seen improved properties in various polymers, including TPU, PA6/66, PLA, HDPE, LDPE, PET, PC and PP. With a 0.2% loading in PP, for example, the company reports a greater than 20% improvement in impact properties. In PLA, the company has seen a more than 40% improvement in barrier proper- ties with 1% graphene. Products added to the GraphCore product line include Graphene Enhanced Masterbatch (GEM) X23M for PP used in automotive and packaging to enhance impact resistance, GEM S24M for PP used to improve tensile in fibres, GEM D26M to improve tensile properties in PA6, and GEM B25L for TPU. In TPU applications such as fan or conveyor belts and consumer goods, the additive enhances tensile strength and elasticity, and can allow weight reduction.
Black Swan’s latest addition is a 10% graphene
nanoplatelet masterbatch in HDPE, which the company says improves mechanical properties, such as strength and durability, particularly for packaging and film applications. The new GEM S27M also allows improved properties in recycled PE compounds. In July this year, Black Swan announced an
agreement with UK-based masterbatch manufac- turer Broadway Colours. Broadway will manufac- ture GEMs for markets including consumer goods, packaging, automotive, construction, defence, marine and logistics. A new product being devel- oped uses a bio-based polymer as the carrier. Black Swan’s materials have been independently tested by the Graphene Engineering Innovation Center (GEIC) at the University of Manchester in the UK, which helps companies launch technolo- gies using graphene. Researchers at the Warwick Manufacturing
Group (WMG) at University of Warwick’s Interna- tional Institute for Nanocomposites Manufacturing
www.compoundingworld.com
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