Sparc Technologies: Solvent-based coatings with added graphene have better anti-corrosion properties

Sparc Technologies claims that waterborne coatings with added graphene have better corrosion protection than solventborne coatings with added graphene, while waterborne coatings are more environmentally friendly. The company that developed the technology told investors that the significant improvement in corrosion protection of graphene-enhanced waterborne acrylic epoxy coatings, which are alternatives to coatings containing fossil fuel-derived organic solvents, comes amid strong market growth. Testing involved adding low doses of selected grades of graphene and comparing them to unmodified controls using two industry-recognized electrochemical measurement techniques. "These results are the first time Sparc has found evidence that graphene significantly improves the corrosion protection performance of waterborne coatings."

"This will expand Sparc's presence in an emerging and fast-growing segment of the coatings market where there are clear performance challenges to address. It also complements Sparc's flagship ecosparc product line." Sparc Laboratories tested the coated panels using two electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) techniques: In the Rapid Electrochemical Evaluation of Coatings (REAP) test, the graphene-enhanced coatings showed slower penetration of water through the paint film into the steel substrate, resulting in significantly reduced delamination. In Accelerated Cyclic Electrochemical Technique (ACET) testing, visual inspection showed that the graphene-enhanced coating improved coating elasticity and significantly reduced blistering after six cycles of cathodic polarization (AC/DC/AC). No corrosion.

“There is a growing demand in the coatings industry for more environmentally friendly water-based products, but their performance is not yet high enough for large-scale industry adoption in corrosion applications,” said Nick O’Loughlin, Managing Director of Sparc. “Our results clearly demonstrate the significant performance improvements provided by graphene, which has the potential to unlock significant growth in this developing area of ​​the coatings market.”

“It is pleasing that these results have been achieved by leveraging Sparc’s proprietary knowledge and expertise in the use of graphene-based additives in the larger solvent-based corrosion protection market and enabling us to expand our customer engagement.”