Australian graphene reinforced geotextile field test success

According to foreign media reports, Australia's first experiment with graphene conductive and enhanced geotextiles was successful. The company (Imagine IM) is Australia's first commercial producer of graphene. This year, in cooperation with Geoafbris Australasia, Australia's largest geotextile manufacturer, it has created a new graphene-reinforced geotextile.

Geotextile is a kind of synthetic material used for fixing soil. It is mainly to prevent soil or sand from being lost under the action of water. It is a kind of fabric commonly used in construction.

The test was conducted in Melbourne, Australia on August 18th and was tested by the National Testing Association (NATA)-certified company ExcelPlas, which tested geotextiles covered with imgne® X3 masterbatch. This prototype was produced at the Alberry plant in Geofabrics (located in New South Wales).

Graphene has good electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, and also has certain strength, hydrophobicity, and resistance to gas permeation. The increased strength of the graphene layer far exceeds the increased strength of the steel. Due to the improved conductivity, it is also more convenient when locating the leak.

The new products can be used as lining systems in landfills, mines, sewage treatment plants, reservoirs, industrial processing facilities, and dams. Compared with traditional geotextiles, it can improve the positioning ability of missing and improve the construction quality .

Phillip Aitchison, chief operating officer of Imagine IM, said: "Our wegne® X3 based on graphene can increase the electrical conductivity of textile articles without affecting any other properties of the material."

“This test result is very good and it is an important milestone for us. Now, we have proved that we can manufacture graphene on a large scale, and at the same time find suitable applications. Next we will try to make graphene related Smart materials," said Chris Gilbey, CEO of Imagine IM.