hrl: proud to be part of the opening of the new Graphene manufacturing plant

A NEW manufacturing plant helping to create "smart", super strong products for the world market opened in Geelong yesterday by the Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science, Craig Laundy.

hrl: attended the official launch of the Imagine Intelligent Materials' North Geelong plant that puts the city at the forefront of a rising graphene revolution. hrl: together with Imagine Intelligent Materials, Swinburne University, Agilent, Duromer and Austeng is part of the Cooperative Research Centre Project into Graphene Supply Chain Certification.

hrl: General Manager, Steven Kulibaba explains "The objective of the CRC-P "Graphene Supply Chain Certification" is to support industry-identified and industry-led collaborative research to develop products, services or processes that will solve industry problems and deliver tangible outcomes.  Made from carbon, graphene is an unmatched two-dimensional ­material that is impermeable to gas, stronger than steel, harder than diamond and ­electrically conductive."  

Graphene, considered a "smart material", is the thinnest, strongest material known and is an elite conductor of electricity.  It is expected to revolutionise industry and consumer products over the next 20 years, with applications in electronics, batteries, fashion and sports wearable technology, mining, construction, water conservation and purification, automotive structures and energy storage. Imagine Intelligent Materials has entered into a contract with Austeng for the factory, with plans to use two tonnes of graphene in its first year of operation for Australian manufacturers' products.

Working with graphene materials is another way that hrl: is embracing new materials and will continue to develop hrl:'s expertise and knowledge. Learn more about our innovative partnerships here.