First Graphene receives UK grant to develop graphene-enhanced cement

First Graphene-led consortium of partners has been awarded a UK government grant to develop high-performance graphene-enhanced cement. 

The GBP190,034 grant was awarded by the UK government’s innovation agency, Innovate UK, to the consortium, which includes construction materials group Breedon Cement Ltd, construction and regeneration group Morgan Sindall Construction & Infrastructure Ltd, and the University of Manchester’s Department of Mechanical, Civil and Aerospace Engineering. 

“We are delighted to be working with industry-leading partners Breedon and Morgan Sindall, as well as the University of Manchester, which together represent a powerful consortium of producers, users, specifiers and researchers along the concrete supply chain,” First Graphene Managing Director and CEO, Michael Bell, said.

First Graphene means to address this issue with its cement additive PureGRAPH^® products, which have been shown through external testing at international standards to enhance compressive strength by 34 per cent and tensile strength of cement mortar by 27 per cent, the company claims. 

“We’re extremely proud to be part of the consortium led by First-Graphene to develop graphene-enhanced, low-carbon cement, which could ultimately reduce the amount of clinker in concrete and reduce CO₂ emissions,” said Jude Lagan, Breedon Cement's cement and products managing director.

First Graphene also signed a collaboration agreement with Fosroc in January 2022 to develop graphene cement additives.