Published · Updated
Concrete is one of the most promising places to use graphene, because a very small dose can change how the material performs and it fits into existing mixing processes.
What our testing showed
Our graphene concentrate, added to concrete at 5% by weight of cement, gave a 67.7% gain in compressive strength in independent third-party testing in 2023. Results depend on the mix design, cement, aggregates and curing, so we test with you in your own mix before any change to a design. See graphene in concrete and the concrete additive press release.
Why higher compressive strength matters
- Design options: stronger concrete gives engineers more room to work with section sizes and loads, within the codes that apply.
- Material use: if a design can meet its requirements with less material, that can reduce cement use, which is a large share of concrete's carbon footprint. Any such saving has to be confirmed for each mix and design.
- Durability: graphene is being researched for its effect on permeability and cracking in concrete, which affect how long structures last. We don't publish durability numbers yet.
Other construction uses being explored
Across the industry, graphene is also being studied in coatings for corrosion protection, in rebar and reinforcement (see our graphene rebar project), in asphalt and in polymer composites for building products. See also graphene in construction.
Want to test graphene in your mix? Contact us with your mix design and volumes, or read more about what we make.
For concrete producers: our graphene concrete additive is supplied as a liquid graphene dispersion and gave 67.7% higher compressive strength at 5% by weight of cement in independent third-party testing in 2023.
Concrete strength and embodied carbon
Cement is the binder in concrete. Its production releases CO₂ through limestone conversion and energy use, as explained by the IEA. That makes cement quantity an important part of a concrete carbon assessment.
GI’s additive achieved +67.7% compressive strength in third-party testing at the tested 5% supplied-additive dose by cement weight, not 5% pure graphene. This validated strength result supports investigating lower-cement mixes; it does not establish how much cement can be removed. Candidate mixes must meet the same required performance.
Conditional example: if 100 kg of Portland cement is actually avoided at the same required performance, gross avoided cement A1–A3 impact is 100 × 0.919 = 91.9 kg CO₂e. The 100 kg is an example assumption, not a reduction demonstrated by GI. The official US industry-average Portland cement EPD, revised July 2026, Table 4, gives 0.919 kg CO₂e/kg using 2019 production data, covering A1–A3, raw materials through manufacturing—not a current-year plant measurement or whole-life concrete footprint. CO₂e means carbon dioxide equivalent.
This is gross avoided cement-production impact, not measured GI net savings. Net savings require matched-performance mix validation and a consistent lifecycle comparison including additive manufacture, carrier, packaging, transport and all changed mix inputs. Unknown additive impacts are not zero. The strength result does not automatically establish cement reduction, longer service life or carbon capture.
