Directa Plus PLC (LON:DCTA), the graphene nanoplatelets-based products developer, has signed a research & development (R&D) agreement with Comerio Ercole, the Italian rubber products specialist.
The two companies will pursue joint research and development projects using Directa Plus’s G+ technology to develop products in the rubber and tyres, plastic and non-woven materials industries.
The partners will use Comerio's own R&D laboratory, with mixing and calendering machinery, to explore prototype processes using polymers and elastomers that could in future be useful to produce and improve compounds containing G+.
"Working with selected partners who share our vision for product development is a great way to bring graphene-enhanced products to market in partnership with established Italian, European, and global companies,” said Giulio Cesareo, the founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Directa Plus.
“Combining Comerio's deep expertise in materials and machinery with our world-leading knowledge and understanding of graphene will help create new market opportunities for both our companies," he added.
Riccardo Comerio, the CEO of Comerio Ercole, said the company’s target is to develop, tailored industrial machinery for specific graphene applications.
"Comerio Ercole has always been a pioneer in the field of industrial innovation for mixing and calendering processes. With Directa Plus we are now undertaking an exciting new challenge to identify the most promising uses of graphene in our machinery and plants for selected, qualified customers,” Comerio said.