TIDMHAYD
Haydale Graphene Industries PLC
19 December 2014
Haydale Graphene Industries plc
("Haydale" or the "Company")
Grant Award to Haydale Subsidiary EPL Composite Solutions
Limited ("EPL")
Haydale Graphene Industries plc (AIM:HAYD), the Company focused
on enabling technology for the commercialisation of graphene, is
pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary EPL has been
awarded a GBP261,000 Regional Growth Fund ("RGF") grant by the
Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership ("LLEP"). These
funds will be provided in the first quarter of 2015.
Use of Grant Funding
EPL has for over 10 years been working closely with the oil and
gas industry on the development of a process to manufacture
spoolable, high pressure, fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite
pipes ("RTP") on a continuous basis. The RTP product is aimed at a
replacement for corrosion resistant steel pipes currently in
world-wide use. The grant funding will part-finance EPL to
undertake a series of long term accelerated durability tests by EPL
on the fibre reinforced thermoplastic composite pipes in line with
the American Petroleum Institute (API) recommended practice 15S.
API is the largest US Trade Association for the oil and natural gas
industry, representing some 400 corporations, and testing product
to API 15S is an essential step towards the successful exploitation
and commercialisation of the RTP process in the US oil and gas
industry.
EPL is also working closely with Haydale to incorporate graphene
into the thermoplastic composite pipes in order to enhance the oil
and gas permeation resistance of these materials as well as
increasing the materials long term durability performance.
Ray Gibbs, CEO at Haydale, commented:
"The oil and gas industry is known as an adopter of new
materials. This grant award will enable us to rapidly develop and
test our graphene enhanced composite which could lead to commercial
development within twenty four months in a potentially significant
market.
We are convinced that functionalisation of graphene is the key
to the successful commercialisation of graphene enhanced products
and I am pleased that the graphene industry has acknowledged that
dispersion is necessary for the effective adoption of graphene. Our
process has already been verified by the UK National Physical
Laboratory and Aerospace Corporation, the US based independent
research organisation, who reported more than a 100% increase in
structural strength and stiffness of epoxy composites using
Haydale's functionalised graphene nanoplatelets.
These grant funded tests will add a further level of endorsement
of our proprietary plasma process. It also demonstrates to the
manufacturers of graphene and industrial users of graphene enhanced
products that our process produces the improvements in not only
product performance that industry is looking for but potentially
offers enhanced materials replacement possibilities."
Gerry Boyce, Managing Director at EPL added:
"Tests on prototype pipes have been extremely successful and we
are looking forward to further development and certification of a
range of materials, pipes and pipeline systems and the creation of
an advanced high value UK technology. The setting up of a pipeline
test facility at EPL will accelerate the long term testing of
thermoplastic composite pipes required by API 15S as well as
enabling us to fast track new materials such as graphene enhanced
thermoplastics into the composite pipelines."
Kevin Harris, Vice-Chair of the LLEP said:
"EPL is a specialist firm and really helps to demonstrate the
diverse range of businesses that the RGF has supported. The RGF
aims to stimulate local job creation and private sector growth and
so far the LLEP has given out over GBP12.5 million in grants,
helping over 120 companies in the Leicester and Leicestershire
area."
- ends -
For further information please contact:
Haydale Graphene Industries plc 01269 842 946
John Knowles, Chairman
Ray Gibbs, Chief Executive Officer
Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nomad) 0207 148 7900
Tony Rawlinson
Paul Trendell
Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (Broker) 020 7894 7000
David Foreman
Paul Jewell
Hermes Financial PR
Trevor Phillips 07889 153 628
Chris Steele 07979 604 687
About Haydale
Haydale has developed a patent-pending proprietary scalable
plasma process to functionalise graphene and other nanomaterials.
This enabling technology can provide Haydale with a rapid and
highly cost-efficient method of supplying tailored solutions to
enhance applications for both raw material suppliers and product
manufacturers.
Functionalisation is carried out through a low-pressure plasma
process that treats both mined, organic fine powder and other
synthetically produced nanomaterial powders, producing high-quality
few layered graphenes and graphene nanoplatelets. The process can
functionalise with a range of chemical groups, with the level of
functionalisation tailored to the customer's needs. Good dispersion
improves the properties and performance of the host material and
ensures the final product performs as specified.
The Haydale plasma process does not use wet chemistry, nor does
it damage the material being processed; rather, it can clean up any
impurities inherent in the raw material. The technology is a low
energy user and most importantly environmentally friendly. The
Haydale method is an enabling technology, allowing the Company to
work with a raw material producer who seeks to add value to the
base product and tailor the outputs to meet the target applications
of the end user.
Haydale, based in South Wales and housed in a purpose-built
facility for processing and handling nanomaterials, is facilitating
the application of graphenes and other nanomaterials in fields such
as inks, sensors, energy storage, photovoltaics, composites, paints
and coatings.
www.haydale.com
About EPL
EPL specialise in the design, development and commercialisation
of advanced polymer composite materials with capability to cover
the entire development cycle from applied research, product design,
process development, product testing and certification, to setting
up manufacturing plants. EPL work with specifiers, OEMs and
end-users to develop and demonstrate composite solutions that
provide clear technical, economic, social and environmental
benefits over existing traditional materials and products. Having
demonstrated these benefits and generated a demand, EPL also has
the ability to identify commercial partners - either under licence
or as a joint venture - to scale up and manufacture the composite
solution at regional and global volume bases.
www.eplcompositesolutions.co.uk
About the LLEP
The LLEP provides local government, the business community and
other partners with the opportunity to come together to lead
economic development and regeneration activities and to drive
forward economic growth. To find out more, visit
www.llep.org.uk
About the Government's Regional Growth Fund
The Government's Regional Growth Fund (RGF) is a GBP3.2 billion
fund designed to help companies in England to grow and deliver
sustainable jobs. Businesses have now received GBP1billion of RGF
support delivering 100,000 jobs and GBP3billion of private
investment. For more information please go to
www.bis.gov.uk/rgf
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
END
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