ILMA Compoundings June 2019 - 26

said. Most of IA Coatings' performance coatings now incorporate
graphene, and each client, whether
in the aerospace, defense, automotive
or industry sectors, gets a coating
customized toward its goals - such
as corrosion protection, anti-friction
or UV stability. Oil drillers protect
equipment from the corrosive effects
of humidity, crude oils and chemicals.
Performance autos get coatings to ease
friction at pistons, bearings and other
pain points.

"Graphene is here. Things with
graphene are already happening,
but we also need to do a lot of
educational work for the end-user
industries." - Zina Jarrahi Cinker,
executive director, National
Graphene Association
But graphene is "a very unstable
material," said Marquart. "It takes a
lot of research and development, a lot
of trials and errors, to manipulate the
graphene into the specific property."
Still, he said, coatings and grapheneenhanced oil "work hand in hand,"
prompting IA Coatings to develop
its line of Graphenoil-branded
lubrication modifiers, motor oils and
specialty lubricants, plus accompanying services that include custom
blending and private branding.
With its multifaceted properties,
graphene offers a single solution in the
universal search for lower friction and
resistance to wear and corrosion from
a variety of elements, Marquart said.
From bicycles to heavy machinery, IA
Coatings is seeing graphene-enhanced
oil offer a ripple effect of benefits.
"Graphene is increasing the flashpoint of the oil," he said. "When the
oil has the higher flashpoint, it doesn't

26

JUNE 2019

| COMPOUNDINGS | ILMA.ORG

burn as much, so it doesn't produce
as much smog or ash. The oil will last
longer, giving you longer intervals
between oil changes. Your engine will
last longer and run cooler."

AN ADVOCATE IN
WASHINGTON
In 2013, the European Commission
- the European Union's executive
body - devoted 1 billion euros
to coordinated research meant to
move graphene from research labs
to real-world applications in science,
health, electronics and energy. China
responded with spending in the
multi-billions and by making graphene
a No. 2 priority in two consecutive
five-year plans.
When NGA and its members go to
Washington, D.C., they remind policymakers that the U.S. is trailing the
world in graphene research. "Don't
take my word for it that graphene
is going to make an impact in the
world," Cinker said. "Look at the
trends your competitors are following.
They are seeing this as a strategic
material - as a strategic raw material
in some cases - for the future of
technology."
Without action, the U.S. could
be "dependent on a supply chain that
is not controlled by the U.S.," she
added. Some progress has been made.
The National Defense Authorization
Act requested that the Department of
Defense report on potential military
applications, and funding for a
graphene commercialization program
is in the works.

GOING TO SCALE
In October 2018, Ford Motor Co.
announced a groundbreaking use
for graphene - mixing it with foam
constituents in under-hood parts for
F-150 pickup trucks and Mustangs to
improve safety and reduce noise.
The announcement shows that
graphene suppliers are capable of

"increasing capacity of production, and
when there is a demand, being able
to meet that demand," said Cinker.
However, the industry must close the
loop regarding standards and health
and safety, she said. Education also
remains crucial to ensuring that end
users have realistic expectations and
work with reliable suppliers.
"All the work we're doing is toward
the goal of having mass-scale incorporation and integration of graphene
in a wide range of products," she
said. "Graphene is here. Things with
graphene are already happening, but
we also need to do a lot of educational
work for the end-user industries."
Graphene suppliers are also working
to overturn government-imposed caps
on monthly production, Marquart
said. Enough is currently available
because graphene can go a long way
- it's said that one sheet can cover a
football field, although it's not clear
if that's an NFL football field or a
larger FIFA fútbol pitch - but lifted
restrictions could open the gates to
further research and development.
Graphene isn't yet regulated by
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA), "so it's technically
considered an R&D material only,"
limiting sales to case-by-case status, said Marquart. When the EPA
releases standards covering the effect
of graphene nanoparticles on marine
systems, "we hope to roll out in
public," he said.
All oils will someday be graphenebased, Marquart believes, but the
full potential and the mysteries
of graphene remain to be uncovered. "That's one of the things about
graphene," said Marquart. "Nobody
has a full picture of it yet. It's still
so new that every day we're learning
more and more about it."
McCormick is a Pennsylvania-based
freelance writer.
http://www.ILMA.ORG
ILMA Compoundings June 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of ILMA Compoundings June 2019
