Graphene Gives PET Bottles a Lightweighting Boost and More

It’s amazing what a single layer of atoms can do. For example, graphene is formed from hexagonal lattices of carbon atoms that make the structure incredibly strong. That’s a key reason why graphene nanotechnology is gaining traction for markets from electronics to energy storage to packaging.

It’s in the latter category where graphene manufacturer HydroGraph Clean Power Inc. hopes to make a not-so-small impact in a sustainable way after the company’s “fractal graphene” powder was found to dramatically improve the performance and sustainability of PET bottles.

“Manufacturers are at a crossroad when it comes to the development of plastic packaging,” says Kjirstin Breure, interim CEO and president. "These performance gains in PET arrive at a critical moment for the packaging industry. As manufacturers struggle with the challenge of increasing recycled content while managing costs and maintaining performance, our technology offers a solution that addresses these needs simultaneously. By enabling significant material reduction while improving performance with recycled content, we're helping the industry meet environmental mandates without compromising product competitiveness."

HydroGraph’s tests conducted at the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) demonstrated that its FGA-1 graphene powder enhances the performance of PET bottles at an ultra-low loading of just 0.006% by weight of added graphene. The results indicate this could lead to lightweighting and an overall reduction in plastic use.

For example, when applied to a 50% blend of virgin PET and rPET, the technology delivers:

Weight reduction alone can justify the return-on-investment, according to Tom Eldridge, director of business development.

RICK LINGLE VIA CANVA

“The primary value comes from weight reduction, specifically the material savings from using less plastic more than offset the cost of our graphene additive,” he explains. “Weight reduction equates to lower transportation costs across the supply chain, offering additional savings for manufacturers and distributors. While the exact ROI varies by application, our early prototypes demonstrate the technology's commercial viability. We're working closely with partners to quantify these cascading cost benefits across different product lines.”

What about transparency, which is a key attribute of PET?

“HydroGraph's fractal graphene has minimal impact on bottle transparency due to its effectiveness at very low concentrations,” responds Eldridge. “While graphene typically reduces light transmission in clear plastics, our product only decreases transparency by five to six percent. This slight darkening is comparable to what consumers already accept with recycled PET bottles currently on shelves.”

HydroGraph’s three plastic segments of interest.

Eldridge informed us the company is targeting three key customer segments in the plastics supply chain:

Compounders: Partners who will incorporate our fractal graphene to create high-performance compounds and masterbatch supply for industry use.

Packaging manufacturers: Companies innovating to integrate graphene-enhanced compounds into blow-molded bottles and other packaging products to achieve superior performance, cost reduction, or productivity improvements.

Brand owners: Industry leaders who face extended producer responsibility requirements and are partnering with us to pioneer advanced sustainable packaging solutions.

HydroGraph has successfully manufactured prototype PET bottles using fractal graphene technology manufactured  withindustrial-scale equipment.

“This milestone validates our technology's potential,” says Eldridge. “We are now optimizing the formulation and processing parameters to maximize performance. We're seeking industrial partners to help develop and commercialize this technology.”
The technology is currently being tested by both plastic compounders and packaging manufacturers in their facilities, he adds.

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Graphene nanotechnology beyond PET.

Based on current global PET bottle production, adoption of FGA-1 technology could achieve a potential reduction of 5 million tonnes of plastic usage annually (20% of current consumption). In an ideal scenario where FGA-1 technology is fully commercialized with 50/50 PET/rPET blends, the emissions reduction from using 20% less overall PET in bottles could represent a reduction of more than 8 million tonnes of CO2.

“Given previous success we’ve seen with our graphene technology, we responded to the mounting pressure for increased sustainability and lightweighting by researching ways fractal graphene can benefit PET,” Breure notes.  “We’re proud of what we’ve accomplished so far, and we’re excited to see what other breakthroughs are on the horizon as we continue our extensive research of nanomaterial technology.”

There is strong potential for other polymers beyond PET bottles, according to Eldridge.

“We're actively developing applications for polypropylene, polyethylene, nylon, PEEK and other plastics through both internal R&D and customer partnerships,” Eldridge says. Initial results for other plastics are highly promising, with further announcements planned for next year.

If you’re interested in more about HydroGraph’s technology, watch the video from the post on X:

Read more about graphene at PlasticsToday.