Graphene is most useful to manufacturers as an additive: a small amount mixed into a material they already make, such as concrete, an oil, a coating or a resin. Here is how that works in practice, what results look like, and where it gets hard.
1. Start with a product that already works
Graphene is rarely a product on its own. It is added to a proven formulation to improve one property, such as strength, wear protection or heat transfer. Our first customer, ITW, already had successful Black Magic and Rain-X products; we worked with their engineers to add graphene, and four graphene car care products reached store shelves.
2. Get the graphene into the right carrier
Graphene sheets tend to clump together, and clumped graphene adds little. The key step is dispersion: spreading graphene evenly through a liquid carrier that is compatible with the product. We supply graphene pre-dispersed in the carrier you need, such as water, solvents, resins or oils, so manufacturers add a liquid instead of handling dry powder. See graphene dispersions.
3. Use a low dose
Graphene additives are typically used at low loadings. Our graphene concrete additive is dosed at about 1% of the mix, and our ThermaGraph™ coolants contain 0.05–0.20 wt% graphene. More is not always better: in coolants, a low concentration protects pumps and filters.
4. Test against your own baseline
Results depend on the base material, so every trial compares the graphene version with the customer's current product. Examples from our own work:
| Application | Carrier | Result | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | Water-compatible concentrate | 67% higher compressive strength at about a 1% dose | Testing |
| Lubricant | Oleic acid and monomer | Up to 42% less wear, 26% higher weld load | Independent testing, Univar Houston lab |
| Armor and aerospace composites | Resin | V50 ballistic testing with AARG | NTS Chesapeake, Belcamp, MD |
| Data center coolant | Deionized water | +6% to +18% convective heat transfer coefficient vs glycol | Internal pumped-loop testing |
5. Scale up and keep it consistent
Once a trial works, the job is to make the same dispersion every time, at production volume, and keep the graphene mixed in the finished product. Quality checks, a spec sheet and an SDS go with each product.
Where graphene additives are used
- Concrete and construction
- Lubricants and oils
- Coatings and car care
- Plastics and composites, including armor composites
- Data center cooling
Many other uses, in electronics, energy storage and textiles, are still at the research stage. If you want to explore one, see graphene integration partners.
Frequently asked questions
What is a graphene additive?
A graphene additive is graphene, usually dispersed in a liquid carrier, that is mixed into a material such as concrete, oil, a coating or a resin in small amounts to improve a property.
How much graphene additive is used?
Usually a small amount. Our concrete additive is dosed at about 1% of the mix, and our ThermaGraph™ coolants contain 0.05–0.20 wt% graphene. The right dose is found by testing in your product.
Do I need new equipment?
Usually not. Because we supply graphene pre-dispersed in your carrier, it is added like other liquid ingredients. Our concrete additive, for example, fits existing batching and mixing.
How do I get started?
Tell us your product, carrier and target property through the quote and sample request form. Pricing and samples are by quote.
Request a quote, samples or a spec sheet · Graphene products
