First Graphene has provided an update on its work with the University of Adelaide (UoA) on graphene for enhancement of industrial building products. The UoA is testing FGR graphene, with the aim of making “smart cement” with conductive graphene flakes with aims to address the concerns of cracking and corrosion and provide conductivity for better monitoring of the health of concrete structures.

According to FGR, the first test results indicate the addition of 0.03% standard graphene is the optimal quantity of graphene from the test conducted to date, showing a 22 - 23 % increase in compressive and tensile strength, respectively. The addition of more standard graphene does not reportedly increase or decrease the strength of the concrete material when compared to the control in this test work.

The focus of the next stage of the work will be trialing other concentrations of graphene in concrete, specifically the 0.01 and 0.1% graphene, and optimization of the mixing procedures. New methods of incorporating graphene into the concrete mixture will be tested. The graphene provided by FGR will have a range of aspect ratios (smaller sheet sizes) and will be tested over the full range of concentrations. It is anticipated this material will better disperse within the concrete mixture and therefore provide further mechanical strength improvements.