Overview
The building materials industry is typically faced with a host of challenges in normal times and current economic factors are not making their job any easier. Post-COVID demand for materials has put a stress on manufacturers and current supply chain bottlenecks have only exacerbated the issue. These factors have caused many manufacturers to reevaluate their product formulations and raw material suppliers.
NeoGraf Solutions has seen a significant uptick in application development projects in the building materials industry. Applications such as protective coatings, concrete admixtures, intelligent building systems, and insulation products are incorporating graphite and graphene into both new and existing formulations. NeoGraf not only has an expansive product portfolio but also the knowledge and understanding to help product development professionals select the proper graphite/graphene system for their building project.
NeoGraf has expertise in three key areas of product development that can be beneficial to customers:
- Product selection
- Formulation assistance
- Production/manufacturing support
Product Selection
The term graphite is routinely used as a generic term; however, it is important to understand that not all graphite is the same. This becomes critically important to individuals involved with product development and wish to utilize graphite into their product design formulations. At NeoGraf, we have a wide range of natural graphite powders from raw graphite flake to expandable graphite to expanded graphite powders to nano-particle graphene dispersions. Each system has different capabilities and can be added to a wide range of chemical products. Different graphite systems can help achieve enhancements to fire resistance, conductivity, insulative R-value, lubricity, and mechanical strength. Graphitic carbon products can also be used to achieve sustainability goals such as less waste and lower embodied carbon. Proper graphite material selection is key to achieving the desired enhancements.
Formulation Assistance
Once the proper graphite system is identified, NeoGraf can help identify formulation design including loading rates, mixing processes, and recommend other synergistic additives to help improve the overall performance of the product. We have improved a large variety of products in the building and construction industry including; protective coating systems, rigid insulation, foam insulation, cementitious based products, roofing membranes, and firestop products. In addition to performance improvements, we help shorten the development timeline through our formulation and production recommendations.
Production/Manufacturing Support
Our job is not done once the product formula has been completed. We are able to work with production teams to help integrate the introduction of graphite systems into their production process. We can help achieve production efficiencies by providing the desired graphite system in various formats including powders, flakes, or even mixed into a masterbatch polymer. We can supply materials in bags, drums, gaylord boxes or even supersacks. We will work with your production teams to insure efficient product integration.
Conclusion
NeoGraf Solutions has the product portfolio and expertise needed to help building and construction product development professionals achieve the optimal product performance needed to differentiate their products from their competition. Please visit our website for more information on our products and complete a short form in the ‘Ask an Engineer’ tab. We will quickly respond to your inquiry and provide timely follow-up information, as needed.
