LONDON, UK: Graft Polymer (LSE: GPL), a specialty chemicals company specializing in modified and alloyed polymers and bio-polymer solutions, has signed a significant research and development (R&D) agreement with the Slovenian Faculty of Polymer Technology (FTPO).
Under this year-long partnership, Graft will collaborate with FTPO to develop polymer matrices, utilizing its technological expertise to create product samples, conduct product testing, and generate an R&D report on their findings.
This collaboration will also enable FTPO to participate in key EU R&D HORIZON projects, marking a pivotal step for Graft in the emerging field of vitrimers, a revolutionary polymer proposition.
Vitrimers represent a groundbreaking innovation in the polymer industry, surpassing traditional classifications of thermoplastics and thermosets.
These materials offer numerous advantages, including the ability to reverse their properties with heat, easy reparability, recyclability, weldability, resilience under mechanical stress, and shape memory.
As vitrimer products gain traction in the polymer market, Graft remains at the forefront, conducting client trials within its GRAFTAMER product range.
This advancement carries significant implications for industries such as aviation, automotive, electronics, and sporting goods, as well as applications in adhesives, liquid crystalline elastomers, and advanced materials.
Graft CEO/CTO Victor Bolduev commented on the agreement, stating, “This new agreement demonstrates our leadership and pioneering technological edge in polymer modification R&D.
It comes on the heels of a dynamic summer with several new agreements and contracts signed, and it leverages our recently commissioned bespoke production equipment site in Slovenia, the hub of our R&D efforts.”
Associate Professor Dr. Blaž Nardin, Dean of the Slovenian Faculty of Polymer Technology, emphasized the growing demand for more efficient and environmentally friendly products across multiple industries.
He believes that vitrimers will play a crucial role in meeting these demands and considers Graft Polymer as the ideal partner to provide R&D insights and product development in this vital niche.
The agreement positions Graft Polymer to enter the global polymer market with its GRAFTAMER products, aligning with a projected 62.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the self-repairing materials market, expected to soar from US$2.1 billion in 2021 to an impressive US$62.66 billion by 2028.
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