Sparc Technologies Limited has reported positive results from recent tests on graphene-enhanced water-based epoxy coatings, showing significant improvements in anticorrosion performance compared to standard formulations.
The company said the findings build on earlier proof-of-concept testing announced in December 2024, which used accelerated electrochemical methods.
According to Sparc, neutral salt spray testing conducted over 480, 960 and 1,680 hours in its laboratories demonstrated clear performance benefits from incorporating low dosages of select graphene grades into two commercial products supplied by a manufacturer.
Sparc Managing Director Nick O’Loughlin said the testing has delivered encouraging results. “The recent salt spray results demonstrate up to 60% anticorrosion performance improvement using Sparc’s graphene-based additives within multiple commercial products, which has the potential to unlock significant growth in this developing area of the protective coatings market,” he said.
The company noted that water-based coatings are gaining traction as a lower-impact alternative to solvent-based coatings, which typically contain fossil fuel-derived organic solvents.
Sparc said its results confirm that graphene additives can help address performance challenges in water-based coatings while complementing its ecosparc range, which is aimed at solvent-based coatings and is currently undergoing field testing.
According to the ASX-listed company, tests were carried out on commercially available 2-pack acrylic and Bis-A/F water-based epoxy coatings, applied to garnet-blasted cold rolled steel with a dry film thickness of about 100 microns. Multiple graphene grades were added at low dosage rates and compared to unmodified reference coatings.
The company said corrosion performance was evaluated according to ASTM D1654-08 standards, but acknowledged that the results have not yet been independently verified.
O’Loughlin said the company’s expertise in developing graphene additives for the solvent-based market has been critical in broadening its work with water-based formulations.
“These results have been achieved leveraging Sparc’s proprietary knowledge and expertise working with graphene-based additives in the significantly larger solvent-based anticorrosion market, and are allowing us to broaden customer engagement and value-add as we approach commercialisation,” he said.
Sparc added that it has successfully developed graphene additives suitable for water-based epoxy coatings, which continue to show stability in testing.
The company said this opens up the potential to commercialise a new water-based additive product alongside ecosparc.
The market context remains significant, with the global water-based epoxy market valued at USD 1.6 billion in 2022 and projected to grow to USD 2.9 billion by 2029, according to industry forecasts.
By comparison, the global anticorrosion coatings market is expected to reach around USD 43 billion by 2029.
The content of this article is based on information supplied by Sparc Technologies Limited. For more information, please refer to the official company announcement and communications from Sparc Technologies. Please consult a licensed and/or registered professional in this area before making any decisions based on the content of this article.
