News and Announcements
First Graphene (ASX: FGR) signs Collaboration Agreements with a number of potential customers & appoints new Chief Technology Officer
- Published November 01, 2018 12:00AM UTC
- Publisher Wholesale Investor
- Categories Company Updates
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Collaboration Agreements signed with a number of potential customers
- PureGRAPHTM Product Information Sheet released
- Dr Andy Goodwin appointed as Chief Technology Officer
- Further technical and marketing appointments for Henderson and Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre
- FGR seeks admission to AIM
During the September Quarter, First Graphene continued to make sound progress with the objective of commercialising its PureGRAPHTM range of graphene products. Having established a production capability at the Henderson facility earlier in 2018 and having launched the PureGRAPHTM product range after a five-month period of testing and confirmation of its
quality, the immediate focus is now the deployment of the graphene into a number of products that can be significantly enhanced with its inclusion.
First Graphene has signed a number of collaboration agreements and NDAs with a range of customers. As at the end of the quarter, FGR had arrangements with a considerable number of different industry participants. In some cases, the customer has requested high levels of confidentiality, so the Company is not able to breach that confidence. However, we are able to provide the following list of arrangements that have been the subject of recent ASX announcements;
- University of Manchester: FGR will provide graphene products for research to be undertaken by researchers at the GEIC (Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre) for a three year period. Not only is this a recognition of the quality of the PureGRAPHTM range, but it places the Company at the heart of the graphene sector, working with some of the world’s leading industrial organisations.
- newGen: The Company has been working with Perth-based newGen to cast a polymer liner for a Sandvik stockpile reclaimer bucket using PureGRAPHTM 20. Additional bucket liners will be cast and sold to one of the largest international mining groups. Success with the graphene-enhanced bucket liner would lead to global adoption and a strong growth curve in the mining sector.
- Chemiplas: Agreement signed to test PureGRAPHTM in the range of recreational equipment made with polyurethane, having already established that it disperses well in polymer resins. Chemiplas is one of the largest, privately owned suppliers of raw materials, ingredients and advanced technologies to the New Zealand and Australasian regions.
- FlexeGRAPH: Initial test work has confirmed that PureGRAPHTM5 is a highly suitable component for the addition to advanced coolants and heat transfer fluids. The heat transfer fluid market is greater than $3bn in Australia alone.
- Flame Security International (FSI): Initial discussions have been held with FSI, a specialist fire retardancy group, regarding the suitability of graphene for the inclusion in a range of fire retardant products, as well as marketing opportunities for FireStopTM.
- European masterbatch company: Whilst the name of the company must remain confidential, we are able to report that extensive test work has proven that the FGR graphene works very effectively as a fire retardant in polymer products. We are awaiting advice regarding the possibility of commercial sales of graphene for this product. In the meantime, the knowledge gained is being beneficially extended to a wider range of polymer products that could benefit from the fire retardant qualities offered by graphene.
- European based multinational polymer and materials manufacturer: Purchased multi-kilogram quantities of all PureGRAPHTM products to begin a programme of graphene technology enhancement in polymer products.
Neil Armstrong (L) and David Bennett (R) pouring PureGRAPTM moulds for testing
Dr Andy Goodwin appointed as Chief Technology Officer
During the quarter the Company was pleased to advise that Andy had accepted the offer to join the Company full-time as Chief Technology Officer. Andy will continue to be based in the United Kingdom to support the UK, EU and USA markets, with regular trips to Australia. With FGR becoming a Tier 1 participant at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC), Andy will work with the staff there on the development and commercialisation of FGR’s recently released PureGRAPHTM product range.
About First Graphene Limited (ASX: FGR)
First Graphene is an advanced materials company seeking to position itself in the lowest cost quartile of global graphene suppliers. It has developed an environmentally sound and safe method of converting its supplies of ultra-high-grade graphite into the lowest cost highest quality graphene, in bulk quantities.