MANCHESTER, UK - HMG Paints has partnered with Applied Graphene Materials (AGM) to develop and commercialize graphene-containing coatings for a variety of industries. Graphene, discovered at The University of Manchester in 2004, is primed to revolutionize the materials world, and the two companies are progressing the formulation and application in protective coatings.

Following an initial stage of controlled environment testing, which produced some extremely positive results, the two companies are now testing their product in a real-world environment. Tests will focus on the application of graphene-based coatings in both the commercial vehicle and construction equipment markets in partnership with a leading UK bespoke commercial vehicle body builder.

“We’re delighted with how our initial testing has gone and have now progressed to life trials in the environments they’d ultimately be used in,” said Jonathan Falder, Head Technician of the HMG Graphene Project. “We’ve found AGM’s graphene dispersions to integrate well using conventional processes and seen some significant performance gains from our own testing of commercial products. We are moving onto full-scale trials and commercial launch as we believe that these benefits can add real value to our customers.”

Combining the coatings experience of HMG with the ultra-dispersible form of graphene and product integration expertise of Applied Graphene Materials, both companies believe that the newly developed products create higher value materials that possess specifically enhanced characteristics for a number of coatings applications across a variety of industries.