an effective solution for material identification

Mexico City – Energeia Graphenemex® is a pioneering nanotechnology company in Latin America, dedicated to the research and production of graphene materials, as well as the development of applications at an industrial level.

Within the company’s research and development protocols, it seeks to solve problems faced by companies or industries on a daily basis, for which research agreements or alliances are made to seek to develop a solution in which graphene is become the agent of change.

Why we developed Graphenergy Ink?

In 2019 there was an approach with one of the largest companies in the world in the manufacture of steel tubes that was facing a serious problem in its process of marking the tubes, which were marketed.

During the tube manufacturing process, marking is necessary for rapid identification and traceability, optimizing all the processes and procedures that each of the steel tubes must go through. However, there was a problem: the ink used in the marking process erased very easily and did not withstand application temperatures above 70°C, in addition to having low resistance to abrasion.

In the course of manufacturing steel tubes, it is normal for these tubes to be subjected to different processes; rotation on conveyors, rollers, shot blasting and transport with cranes, where there is high friction and abrasion between tubes, so the ink ended up being torn off, erasing the marking on the metal surface, and thus losing all control and traceability of the tubes.< /p>

To offer a comprehensive solution to the marking problem, Energeia Graphenemex®, through its Graphenergy Anticorrosive line, developed a new white marking ink with graphene oxide.

Among the most important characteristics of this developed graphene oxide marking ink are:

Extraordinary thermal resistance (resists more than 200 °C)

Resistance to UV rays

Anticorrosive property

High adhesion to metallic substrates

Abrasion resistance

Ultra-fast drying (3 seconds)

Excellent covering power

Thermal resistance to extreme temperatures

Thanks to the development of the marking ink, the problem of the lack of adherence of the marking ink was solved, as well as the issue of abrasion that occurs when moving the tubes during transport, thus maintaining the traceability of the tubes .

Due to its characteristics, the production process was additionally benefited by:

Ultra-fast drying: it allowed the production line not to stop, which could improve production times

Anti-corrosion protection: a version of the transparent ink was formulated that is applied on the tubes after marking, preventing them from rusting.

Graphene oxide as an additive in concrete:

innovation in construction

Mexico City – 9 years after being established, Energeia Fusion S.A. de C.V., the most important Mexican company in Latin America and promoter of the renowned Graphenemex® brand, launches the Graphenergy construction line, a new generation of nanotechnological additives for concrete with graphene oxide, which promises to strengthen the infrastructure and construction industry .

El Grafeno, también conocido como “el material del futuro”, finalmente traspasó la barrera de los laboratorios de investigación y se ha convertido en una realidad como potencial solución de innumerables necesidades sociales, ambientales e industriales. Este maravilloso nanomaterial consiste láminas atómicas de carbono extraídas del grafito y, gracias a sus interesantes propiedades mecánicas, eléctricas, térmicas, ópticas, etc., durante los últimos años se han invertido millones de dólares alrededor del mundo para tenerlo disponible en distintas aplicaciones, dentro de las cuales, la industria de la infraestructura y construcción ha logrado ser una de las más favorecidas.

Graphene career in the construction industry

2004 – Isolation of Graphene.

2010 – Recognition of the scientists Konstantin Novoselov and Andre Geim with the Nobel Prize in Physics for the isolation of Graphene.

2013 – Energeia Graphenemex is established, the first company in Latin America specialized in the production of graphene materials and development of applications.

2018 – Graphenemex® launches Nanocreto® on the market, the first additive for concrete with graphene oxide in the world (Mexico).

2019 – Graphenenano launches Smart additives, additives with graphene for concrete (Spain).

2019 – GrapheneCA presents its line of OG concrete admix products for the industry

concrete (USA).

2021- Scientists from the University of Manchester develop the concrete admixture Concretene (England).

2022 – Energeia – Graphenemex® launches the Graphenergy Construction line, a

improved version of its concrete admixture (Mexico).

Graphenergy construction is a water-based admixture compatible with other admixtures, designed to improve the quality of concrete or concrete, with the aim of reinforcing the pre-existing characteristics of concrete, such as mechanical resistance, but also to add value by providing non-existent properties in the original design, such as waterproofing, thermal insulation and antimicrobial protection.

How does Graphenergy construction work?

1. High impermeability and anti-corrosiveness

Graphenergy construction within the cementitious matrix forms molecularly more ordered and closed architectures that reduce the porosity of the structure and therefore create hydrophobic surfaces that, at a microstructural level, also hinder the passage of liquids and gases, hindering the passage of the agents that cause structural deterioration, especially in aggressive environments such as coastal or highly polluted environments.

Structure closure at the molecular level has also been demonstrated by electrical diffusivity measurements; These results support the protection of the metal structure of the concrete, increasing the useful life of the structure.

2. Improved mechanical properties

The more compact and organized architecture at the molecular level that Graphenergy Construction Graphene Oxide achieves within the concrete, allows microcrack limitation centers to form and therefore the structure becomes stronger when subjected to compression or tension loads, while favoring its flexibility.

3. Thermal insulation

The thermal insulation offered by Graphenergy construction is due to the ability of graphene oxide to dissipate heat with great efficiency and even to withstand intense electrical currents without heating up.

4. Antimicrobial protection

Graphenic additives offer different fronts of chemical and physical attacks of combined interaction, highly resistant to the formation of microbial biofilms, this means that microorganisms do not find a suitable environment to grow and release their by-products (eg. sulfuric acid) and, therefore, is not generated or, failing that, delays the appearance of microbiologically induced corrosion of concrete (MIC). This protection is extremely important, for example, for water systems since, inside the pipes, MIC is capable of dissolving up to 25 mm of concrete per year.

References

1. Basquiroto de Souza F., Proposed mechanism for the enhanced microstructure of graphene oxide–Portland cement composites. JOBE. 2022, 54, 104604

2. Dimov D., Ultrahigh Performance Nanoengineered Graphene Concrete Composites for Multifunctional Applications. Adv. Funct. Mother. 2018, 28, 1705183

3. Shamsaei E., Graphene-based nanosheets for stronger and more durable concrete: A review. Constr Build Mater. 2018, 183, 642

4. Krishnamurthy A., Superiority of Graphene over Polymer Coatings for Prevention of Microbially Induced Corrosion. 2015. Scientific Reports, 5:13858

5. https://blog.ferrovial.com/es/2022/04/graphene-sustainability-construction/

6. https://www.graphenano.com/graphene-arrives-in-construction-to-increase-the-resistance-of-concrete/

7. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/

8. https://www.cdt.cl/desarrollan-concrete-with-nanoparticles-of-graphene-to-repel-water-and-cracks/