Technology: Gratomic graphene tires outperform 'household brand' tires

Toronto, Ontario – Canadian graphite and graphenes supplier Gratomic Inc. has claimed a “breakthrough technology” that could significantly improve the performance of tires through the use of graphenes.

Developed over in an 18-month programme, the company's graphenes enhanced tires (Gratomic Tires) went through extensive testing, including a 6-month terrain test in comparison with “premium tires from a globally recognised ‘household name’ brand,” said Gratomic in a statement 29 Oct.

The tires were fitted to high mileage, commercial light vehicles, which primarily travelled on A and B roads within the UK and the performance of the tires was data logged throughout the entire test period.

The results of the road test concluded the Gratomic Tires, enhanced with surface engineered graphenes, produced a greater than 30% increase in wear resistance over the competing brand tires.

Furthermore, Gratomic said, tests based on industry standard dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed “a significant improvement” in rolling resistance, which indicated a greater than 30% improvement in fuel economy (increased MPG).
 
Wet and ice braking distances were also improved by 40%, according to the company.

The competitive terrain testing programme demonstrated advantages of including Gratomic’s graphite surface modified graphene fillers within tire elastomers,” said Ian Walters, COO Director of Perpetuus Carbon Technology, a UK-based producer of graphene.

Perpetuus scientists supervised all independent third-party industry expert performance analysis and also the data logged road testing exercise.

Gratomic claims to produce graphenes of “high purity, consistently, and scalability” from its graphite mine in Namibia and its dedicated facility for the patented Perpetuus method.

Perpetuus employs a patented plasma process to produce hybrid graphenes with less than 10 layers, which are then incorporated in tire elastomers for the development of graphene ultra fuel efficient tires.

When functionalised, the liberated graphenes have demonstrated “excellent processability,” according to Walters.