As a chemical engineer I believe graphene, biochar and other carbon allotropes offer a compelling suite of benefits including tensile strength, heat aborption, catalysis, PFA/Metal cleanup, and more.

I am currently writing a US Navy Grant Application (Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for corrosion prevention on ships. Let me know if you would like to participate.

61-24-02 – CORROSION PROCESSES, CONTROL, MITIGATION, AND TECHNOLOGY

The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is interested in receiving proposals for research and development in materials performance, environmental effects, corrosion processes, corrosion control and marine coatings technology. These efforts may include studies from basic corrosion mechanistic studies through applied technology and corrosion control initiatives. The areas of research and development activities of interest to NRL include, but are not limited to the following:

Develop computational modeling techniques for the development of predictive equations of state for materials, mechanistic prediction and prognostics, which could greatly reduce costs, techniques, methodology and processes for developing new materials with improved corrosion resistance and structural performance attributes. These may include fundamental composition modification, forming processes, treatments, processing and augmentation that permit optimization of properties, including corrosion resistance, cathodic protection requirements, reduction in localized effects, stress corrosion cracking resistance, reduced hydrogen embrittlement, etc.

Improved properties of materials, inhibitors, surface modification and passivation, property enhancement related to materials physical property improvements, improved

galvanic compatibility, minimize microbial influenced corrosion (MIC), electrochemical enhancement, plating, hardening, carburization and low temperature carburization, surface coatings, welding techniques, annealing, reduced susceptibility to stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen effects, novel methods for metal extraction, ionic liquids, rapid prototyping methods, oxidation/reduction effects. Materials efforts may contribute toward Navy vessels and may include but are not limited to: steels, HSLA steels, stainless steels, nickel alloys, aluminum alloys, titanium, copper/bronze, magnesium alloys, composites, polymers, anode materials, and novel materials, such as nano-based, amorphous, implanted, flame/plasma spray, novel microstructure and unique technology.

Design of marine coatings technology that contribute to improved corrosion performance, new resin/formulation properties, coatings durability, reduced total life cycle cost, dual- use, improved inspection capability, reduced/marginal surface preparation requirements, advanced application technology, rapid cure/single coat cure, self-inspecting, radar adsorption, acoustic damping, improved special hull treatment/mold in place, antifoulant technology, cavitation/erosion resistance, reduced maintenance and condition based maintenance (CBM). These efforts may pertain to all ship and submarine platform technologies and includes applications for aircraft, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous vehicles, Marine Corps vehicles, component parts and developing technology.

Development of: sensor technology, corrosion control systems, cathodic protection technology, electrochemical techniques, integrated components, biological materials, novel electronic circuits, smart materials and structures, dual-use systems, control algorithms, computational techniques, physical scale modeling, devices, components, bioremediation techniques, chlorination/dechlorination methods/equipment, descaling/fouling removal applications, electrical isolation, improved grounding, power systems, fuel cell technology, catalysts, membrane technology, materials extraction, novel manufacturing processes – including interstitial hardening and other surface modification processes that improve the corrosion resistance of materials, diamond materials, surface enhancements/detection methods, improved concrete processes/durability, and diver safety technology.

Development of materials, coatings, devices, components, product and systems that address crucial Naval and DoD requirements for corrosion prevention, control, remediation, maintenance, life-cycle extension, cost reduction, platform sustainment, sea basing, technical insertion, advanced ship design, propulsion systems, equipment design/specification, system engineering and unique naval applications.

As you will see below, I write technical papers and grant applications in this field. Please contact me for more depth and information. (Rob@RobertMerrillFletcher.com or 213.500.7236 (ET).

DOE/EPA/SBIR Concept Papers I have Written on Graphene:

If you are a composite or materials company:

Adding graphene to your composite will cut your material costs in half and provide 5-10x in tensile strength and reduce the weight of your products which impacts all your economics. We meet or exceed all ASTM regulations and certifications in your market.

About Me: I am a chemical engineer that writes technical grants and that enables me to meet incredible people with incredible technology. As “Renewable Rob” I have a strong interest in graphene and carbon allotropes and biochar and other circularity and green solutions. https://robertmerrillfletcher.com/biochar

We have solved the two main problems that have heretofore inhibited graphene’s adoption, 1) Dispersion, and 2) Ease of Integration Into Existing Processes.

Dispersion – Our protected IP delivers on the promise of “a monolayer of 5g of graphene can cover a football field. Graphene and other additives tend to ‘clump’, our technology fixes that.
Ease of Integration: We offer either a dry powder or a soluble liquid so you can simply “pour it in” to your batch or continuous process.

The economic benefits to you for using less composite material and having less shipping weight, etc… far exceed the cost of our materials.

The next step is typically a test at either your lab or ours.

Ps. Here is just one article about this wonder-material:

Mechanical Strength Another of graphene’s stand-out properties is its inherent strength. Due to the strength of its 0.142 Nm-long carbon bonds, graphene is the strongest material ever discovered, with an ultimate tensile strength of 130,000,000,000 Pascals (or 130 gigapascals), compared to 400,000,000 for A36 structural steel, or 375,700,000 for Aramid (Kevlar). Not only is graphene extraordinarily strong, it is also very light at 0.77milligrams per square metre (for comparison purposes, 1 square metre of paper is roughly 1000 times heavier). It is often said that a single sheet of graphene (being only 1 atom thick), sufficient in size enough to cover a whole football field, would weigh under 1 single gram. What makes this particularly special is that graphene also contains elastic properties, being able to retain its initial size after strain. In 2007, Atomic force microscopic (AFM) tests were carried out on graphene sheets that were suspended over silicone dioxide cavities. These tests showed that graphene sheets (with thicknesses of between 2 and 8 Nm) had spring constants in the region of 1-5 N/m and a Young’s modulus (different to that of three-dimensional graphite) of 0.5 TPa. Again, these superlative figures are based on theoretical prospects using graphene that is unflawed containing no imperfections whatsoever and currently very expensive and difficult to artificially reproduce, though production techniques are steadily improving, ultimately reducing costs and complexity. (Rob: Note the nod to DISPERSION here).