Concrete to be improved with functionalised graphene powders

Portland cement is responsible for the characteristics that make concrete so widely used, but it also accounts for most of its carbon emissions so alternative solutions are being investigated that offer the same benefits with a lower environmental impact. 

Graphene-enhanced concrete is already in development, but the work being undertaken between Atomi and Haydale will centre around functionalising graphene using Haydale’s HDPlas process.

In a statement, Keith Broadbent, Haydale CEO said: “Haydale and Atomi have been working together since 2021 on the provision of functionalised nanomaterials in the biomedical sector. The possibility for advanced materials is so diverse and it is great to be starting this project with the potential to benefit a sector that increasingly is seeking alternative materials to improve products and reduce CO2 emissions.”

Unfunctionalised graphene is hydrophobic and does not mix well with cement. Unlike traditional and wet chemistry methods of getting graphene to perform, plasma functionalisation is a single stage, powder in, powder out process that does not produce any effluent streams and does not rely on chemical treatment.