1. Organization and Role
Sparc Technologies is an Australian advanced materials company specialising in the development and commercialisation of graphene-enhanced solutions for the protective coatings market.
Sparc’ ecosparc® additive platform is a proprietary product range which delivers carefully selected and well dispersed graphene into enhanced protective (anticorrosive) coatings used on steel infrastructure.
Sparc operates a fully equipped paint and graphene formulation laboratory, manages a separate commercial manufacturing facility for its ecosparc® additives and holds ISO certification audited by Lloyd’s Register.
2. Challenge Before the Project
By early 2025, Sparc Technologies had spent five years developing its ecosparc® platform, validated a handful of graphene grades suitable for use in solvent based protective coatings and progressed testing and trials with global coatings majors.
As Sparc moved towards commercialisation, two strategic priorities drove its continued graphene sourcing and evaluation programme: first, expanding its validated supply base which should include producers with regulatory approvals (EPA, REACH) needed for key target markets; and second, identifying a high-performing graphene specifically for water-based and other coating systems.
Sparc’s qualification process is intentionally rigorous: across its extensive work in protective coatings, only approximately 3–5% of commercially available graphene grades pass screening, which requires demonstrated corrosion performance, batch-to-batch consistency and long term stability in liquid media. In water-based systems this bar had proven even harder to clear, as graphene grades that perform well in solvent-based formulations do not necessarily correlate, and stable dispersion in water presents additional formulation challenges that most grades fail to meet.
“There are hundreds of different grades of graphene, and each behaves differently. One of the key things we do is identify which grades actually work, technically and commercially, in protective coatings.” — Nick O’Loughlin, Managing Director, Sparc Technologies
3. What Was at Stake
Sparc was approaching a pivotal moment after years of development and testing with the protective coatings industry. It was close to its first commercial ecosparc® product launches and in active discussions with several of the world’s largest coatings companies.
The ability to move quickly into new markets, particularly North America, depended in part on having graphene supply partners with EPA approval already in place, removing the need for Sparc to lead a lengthy and uncertain registration process for its additives.
The growing water-based market segment, gaining share as VOC regulations tighten globally, represented an important additional opportunity, but one that required a graphene grade specifically suited to water-based chemistry. And as coatings companies and asset owners face increasing pressure on sustainability, the environmental credentials of input materials were becoming a genuine consideration in supply decisions.
Finding the right partners on all three dimensions (regulatory readiness, water-based performance, and environmental profile) would support how quickly and how broadly Sparc could bring ecosparc® to this segment of the protective coatings market.
“Even small improvements in coating performance can deliver huge value to large asset owners, because maintenance and recoating costs are so high.” — Kjirstin Breure, President and CEO, HydroGraph
4. Goals to Achieve
The objective of the initial evaluation was to assess HydroGraph’s FGA-1 Fractal Graphene™ as a candidate for Sparc’s water-based ecosparc® formulations, alongside other graphene grades under evaluation. HydroGraph was of particular interest due to its EPA and REACH regulatory approvals, its western supply base, lowest energy footprint and carbon footprint of any graphene production process, and the distinctive characteristics of its fractal graphene. Specific goals for this phase included:
- Screening FGA-1 using a consistent, controlled methodology
- Benchmarking FGA-1 against other graphene candidates at commercially relevant loading levels
- Demonstrating durable performance improvements within a commercial water-based coating across extended exposure periods in salt spray conditions (up to 1680 hours)
- Establishing compatibility with the ecosparc® range, a scalable, drop-in approach to graphene integration that does not require changes to existing coating manufacturing processes
5. Solution Chosen
Following evaluation against other graphene grades, HydroGraph’s FGA-1 Fractal Graphene™ emerged as the top-performing material for water-based ecosparc® formulations. FGA-1’s performance in this testing, combined with HydroGraph’s existing EPA and REACH (UK and EU) regulatory approvals, its North American production base, and environmentally friendly production, made it a strong candidate to become part of Sparc’s qualified graphene supply base.
FGA-1 was incorporated into a commercial 2K water-based acrylic epoxy coating at low loading. The FGA-1 was delivered through the ecosparc® platform as a stable, ready-to-use additive designed as a drop-in addition to existing paint manufacturing processes, requiring no process changes.
HydroGraph’s detonation synthesis production process gives FGA-1 the lowest energy and carbon footprint of any commercial graphene production method, an attribute that reinforces the sustainability positioning of water-based coatings and aligns with the environmental commitments of major coatings manufacturers and asset owners increasingly seeking to reduce the lifecycle impact of their products.
“We’ve designed ecosparc® as a drop-in solution for the coatings industry. The additive is incorporated during coatings manufacture and delivers enhanced coating performance and durability without any process changes.” — Nick O’Loughlin, Managing Director, Sparc Technologies
6. Implementation – Key Steps
The implementation followed a structured, evidence-based screening methodology:
- Coating system selection: A commercial 2K water-based acrylic epoxy coating was chosen as the base system, applied at approximately 100 µm dry film thickness (DFT).
- Substrate preparation: Cold-rolled steel (CRS) panels (150 x 100 x 2mm) were garnet blasted to a surface profile of 35–50 μm. This substrate specification is standard for demanding corrosion resistance evaluations and replicates real-world industrial application conditions.
- Graphene screening: Multiple graphene materials were evaluated within the same coating system using the ecosparc® dispersion platform to ensure consistent and comparable incorporation.
- Testing protocol: The water-based coatings were cured at 50°C for 7 days prior to testing. Coated panels were assessed under ISO 9227 Neutral Salt Spray (NSS) conditions at three time intervals: 480 hours, 960 hours, and 1680 hours.
- Comparative analysis: Scribe creep (corrosion) results from the graphene-modified systems were compared against the unmodified reference coating and against each other to identify the best-performing graphene material.
- Material selection: HydroGraph’s FGA-1 (Graphene B) was identified as the top-performing material and selected for further validation.
7. Biggest Challenges and Solutions
Challenge: Inconsistent performance across graphene grades
The coatings industry has been hindered by the wide variation in graphene properties, quality, structure, and behaviour. Most commercially available graphene materials fail to deliver reproducible results when incorporated into protective coating formulations.
Solution: Sparc Technologies addressed this through systematic, comparative screening of multiple graphene materials within the same controlled coating system. This approach has been a core element to developing Sparc’s considerable know-how in the identification of certain graphene characteristics and specifications that lend themselves to coatings applications.
Challenge: Effective dispersion of graphene in water-based systems
Achieving stable, uniform dispersion of graphene within water-based coating systems is a known technical barrier. Poor dispersion limits performance and reproducibility.
Solution: The ecosparc® additive platform was specifically designed to address this challenge, enabling reliable incorporation of graphene into coating formulations in a stable and commercially usable form.
Challenge: Establishing credibility and access within the global coatings industry
The global protective coatings industry is highly specification-driven and data-intensive. Major coatings companies and asset owners require extensive, multi-round testing before considering new additives and, historically, early graphene trials had generated scepticism due to inconsistent quality and over-promised results. Breaking into meaningful testing programmes required years of sustained relationship-building and a credible, growing body of validated data.
Solution: Sparc invested >5 years in building deep relationships with global coatings majors and major asset owners, assembling a team with decades of industry experience, and conducting nine rounds of ISO 12944 testing (up to 4,200 hours) to generate the volume and rigour of data that these organisations demand. This approach has enabled Sparc to progress from initial testing, to co-manufactured pilot batches with multiple global coatings companies, and now to commercially released products with AkzoNobel and Petro Vietnam Paint. The company has also secured public collaborations with asset owners including BHP, Saudi Aramco and Santos.
“Graphene has all of these fantastic properties, but the real challenge has been integrating it effectively into protective coatings to deliver performance in real-world applications and having the data to back it up.” — Nick O’Loughlin, Managing Director, Sparc Technologies
8. Results Achieved – Metrics and Improvements
HydroGraph’s FGA-1, incorporated at low loading via the ecosparc® platform, delivered consistent and measurable performance improvements across all of the test intervals under ISO 9227 Neutral Salt Spray conditions:
- 60% reduction in scribe corrosion creep at 480 hours
- 39% reduction in scribe corrosion creep at 960 hours
- 59% reduction in scribe corrosion creep at 1680 hours
- Noticeable reduction in blistering from 960 hours onwards, with FGA-1 demonstrating the most pronounced blistering resistance at 1680 hours. A commercially significant result, as delamination and blistering can drive costly maintenance in the field
FGA-1 outperformed the unmodified reference coating and outperformed or matched the alternative graphene grades tested at every time interval; 480, 960 and 1680 hours. With highly consistent scribe creep measured, between 0.27mm- 0.28mm, at each time interval.
“We’re not talking about incremental gains. These are meaningful improvements that can significantly extend the life of steel assets.” — Kjirstin Breure, President and CEO, HydroGraph
9. Most Valuable Outcome
The most valuable outcome of this evaluation was the confirmation of HydroGraph’s FGA-1 as a high-performing candidate for Sparc’s water-based ecosparc® formulations, and the foundation it provides for a broader strategic partnership.
The results, demonstrating 39% to 60% reduction in scribe corrosion creep across the test intervals at low graphene loading with high consistency across all periods is significant. For asset owners and coatings companies, a material that reliably delivers performance improvements at multiple stages of exposure is more commercially valuable than one that only performs well under certain conditions.
The performance screened FGA-1 for inclusion in Sparc’s validated graphene supply base, specifically addressing the water-based systems segment and the markets where HydroGraph’s regulatory approvals are directly relevant.
This positions the FGA-1/ecosparc® combination as a compelling, scalable, and commercially viable solution for the protective coatings industry. The results also demonstrate Sparc Technologies’ screening methodology as an effective framework for identifying and qualifying graphene materials for specific coating applications.
“Through systematic screening of multiple graphene materials, FGA-1 was identified as the optimal performer for corrosion protection in a water-based acrylic epoxy coating.” — Nick O’Loughlin, Managing Director, Sparc Technologies
10. Advice for Others Facing Similar Situations
Based on the findings of this study, the following guidance is offered to organisations evaluating graphene or other advanced materials for protective coating applications:
- Not all graphene is equal: Graphene varies widely in structure, quality, and performance. Material selection is critical, screening multiple grades under controlled, comparable conditions is the most reliable path to identifying the right material for a given application.
- Dispersion is as important as the material itself: Even a high-quality graphene material will underperform if it is not effectively incorporated into the base material. Developing a robust dispersion platform is essential to unlocking performance.
- Use structured screening to de-risk development: A systematic, comparative evaluation approach reduces variability, generates reproducible data, and provides a defensible basis for material adoption.
- Low loading can deliver high impact: The results demonstrated that significant performance gains are achievable at very low graphene concentrations, supporting the commercial viability of high volume graphene-enhanced coating formulations.
- Consider the full lifecycle value: Even modest improvements in coating durability can generate substantial cost savings over an asset’s life by reducing steel maintenance frequency and recoating requirements.
“Graphene has the potential to improve almost every material — but success depends on delivering it in a form that works at scale.” — Kjirstin Breure, President and CEO, HydroGraph