Premier Graphene Targets Graphene-Enhanced Asphalt as a Potential Market Larger than Cement
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Annual Federal Expenses in the US alone to Maintain Road Quality and Upgrade Poor Roads Exceeds $230 Billion US Dollars
EL CENTRO, Calif., July 23, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Premier Graphene, Inc. (OTC: BIEI) announced today the commencement of testing for its partner company’s proprietary graphene-enhanced asphalt. These tests will evaluate the durability, thermal properties, cost-efficiency, and environmental impact of HGI Industrial Technologies and Premier’s proprietary graphene-enhanced asphalt compared to traditional asphalt formulations.
Approximately 90% of roads in the United States are constructed using asphalt mixtures, making asphalt pavement the predominant choice globally. However, this widely used road surface faces unprecedented challenges. In cold weather regions, annual repair budgets have historically reached hundreds of millions of dollars due to damage caused by snowplows. Moreover, rising global temperatures from climate change are increasingly stressing road infrastructure in hot climates, leading to issues like cracks, rutting, and loose pavement.
To enhance the longevity and performance of asphalt, companies worldwide are urgently seeking economically viable modification technologies. Currently, asphalt is modified using materials such as rubber, plastics, and resins. However, these modifications come with their own set of challenges, including lengthy preparation protocols, stabilization during storage, and difficulties in mixing at both plants and job sites.
Recently, the world's largest materials companies have started incorporating nanoscale materials into asphalt to significantly enhance its performance and durability. Graphene, extensively studied across physics, chemistry, engineering, and materials science for its strength, durability, and conductivity, shows immense promise in various infrastructure applications like roads and bridges. Premier Graphene is integrating HGI’s proprietary graphene formulation into asphalt mixtures to assess structural strength, thermal conductivity, and cost-effectiveness in some of the world's hottest and coldest regions.
One crucial advantage of graphene is its lower aspect ratio compared to other carbon nanomaterials, plastics, and resins, facilitating easier use at job sites. Using graphene ensures consistent mixture ratios, unlike traditional additives such as rubbers, polymers, and other carbon materials.
Premier Graphene is currently conducting 3rd party testing on HGI’s proprietary graphene/asphalt mixtures to identify the optimal ratio for enhanced ease of use, mechanical strength, thermal stability, and overall durability of graphene-enhanced asphalt. By identifying this ideal ratio, which offers significantly improved properties over conventional asphalt blends, Premier Graphene aims to potentially save billions of dollars annually for federal, state, and local municipalities by drastically cutting down on road maintenance costs, all while significantly extending the life and quality of the resulting product.