"Tests also showed a reduction in global warming potential of 10 to 15%."

In a notable advancement for sustainable building materials, HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. announced the publication of a joint study with Arizona State University that validates the performance of its pristine graphene in cement, showcasing improvements in compressive strength and a reduction in global warming potential.

According to the European Union-backed research firm Graphene Flagship, integrating graphene into concrete allows engineers and architects to create structures that require less material while still achieving the same structural performance as traditional concrete.

Graphene-enhanced concrete is 2.5 times stronger and four times less water-permeable than standard concrete. It uses much less cement to deliver the desired strength. As a result, it is expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30%.

This graphene-infused cement exhibits enhanced resistance and strength, alongside quicker drying times, which collectively contribute to considerable cost savings on large-scale projects, the company claims.

Surprisingly, something as ubiquitous as concrete reportedly releases roughly 8% of global CO2 emissions during its production. Given that nearly a tenth of all emissions are yielded by one product, any method to reduce the impact of something that will clearly remain a constant throughout civilization is a win for the planet.

An explosive discovery

What started as an explosive discovery of graphene has led to HydroGraph developing various technologies, products, and innovations centered around maximizing the benefits of its incredible graphene production technology.

First discovered by Kansas State University researchers, who accidentally produced high-quality graphene during an experiment involving controlled explosions in the production of aerosol gel. This serendipitous discovery was dubbed the K-State detonation method, which caught the attention of entrepreneurs seeking to license the tech and began a collaboration to market this method and graphene products that could be produced.

HydroGraph is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with a manufacturing facility in Kansas where the company has an exclusive license from Kansas State University to produce both graphene and hydrogen, a byproduct from the manufacturing method.

The company has continued to build up momentum through various projects and products, and now has reported that under a joint test with the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment at Arizona State University, the findings published in ACS Sustainable Engineering validate the superior technical performance of HydroGraph-specific graphene.

Superior performance

HydroGraph believes its high-purity graphene is ideal for making stronger and more sustainable concrete.

"Graphene's positive effect on cement is known," said HydroGraph Chief Science Officer Ranjith Divigalpitiya. "However, as our 99.8% pure graphene is manufactured with a sustainable process that has the lowest carbon footprint of all graphene producers, the net effect is better for the environment."

Demonstrating its effectiveness in cement, the research findings showed HydroGraph's pristine graphene with compressive strength improved by up to 70% in the early curing period and even more so after 28 days.

Tests also showed a reduction in global warming potential of 10% to 15%.

In addition to these improvements, the testing also showed that just small amounts of HydroGraph's FGA-1 (fractal graphene aggregate) and reactive graphene (RG) had a significant influence, reducing total porosity and critical pore size – essentially improving concrete durability.

The yield stress of fresh suspensions containing only 0.04% of FGA-1 or RG more than doubled as compared to the control paste, ordinary Portland cement paste. The small graphene dosages expand the range of application to include concrete 3D printing.

"This study shows that our graphene, which is manufactured through our scalable and cost-, energy- and CO2-efficient detonation synthesis, can be of a huge benefit to the engineering and environmental performance of concrete and cement," said Divigalpitiya.

"As the global cement and concrete industry looks to lessen its carbon footprint, HydroGraph will be part of that solution," he finished.