If FGR could have sold its announcements of where graphene could be used it would have generated more revenue than from selling graphene!

Half year results still a long way off making a profit.

Concrete/ cement still the best hope and then a new announcement which gives us another spray of potential applications.

Lubricants has potential:

"Improved durability and wear resistance demonstrated for lubricants market Laboratory and commercial scale trials with a new multinational client looking at the enhancing capabilities of adding PureGRAPH® into lubricants has been successfully completed. Results from the external trials demonstrate an increase in wear resistance and improved durability when graphene enhanced lubricants are applied to bearings. These results have provided confidence to progress to full production use of PureGRAPH® enhanced lubricants this year. This development creates a new application for PureGRAPH® and opens the door to the variety of segments who require lubricants, including automotive and industrial."

Shareholders thought the bucket liners were going to be a big thing in mining but it has gone nowhere. At the time conveyor belts and rollers were also proposed.

"First Graphene has received positive results from lab testing of graphene enhanced conveyor belts, by a leading Australian conveyer belt company, for use in the mining industry. The addition of the Company’s PureGRAPH® product in the manufacture of the rubber conveyor belts has shown to enhance mechanical properties of the rubber belts, increasing durability and longevity. This has now progressed towards commercial trials using prototype graphene enhanced belts, with results from this second stage expected by early 2024. "

3D Printing: First Graphene has also progressed its activity in the 3D printing market, with the ability to produce commercial scale quantities of 3D printing filament recently demonstrated. Company to bring graphene enhanced 3D printing filaments to market,

Other applications

Floor Coatings. External production scale trials are now being conducted to measure the effectiveness of dispersing graphene into ESD floor coatings to prevent static charge build-up.

Protective clothing. This has now moved into production trials, which has the potential to pave the way for widespread use of graphene enhanced textile coatings for improved durability and longevity of clothing.

Graphene enhanced sustainable construction material Two concept homes have already been constructed with additional PureGRAPH® enhanced sustainable construction material applications,This project reinforces graphene’s ability as a thermoplastic additive for fire retardant construction applications, which will become vital to enhancing durability of homes for the future.

Continue to hold in RL

Another announcement but today's has sparked a bit of interest with the SP up 40% at time of writing (admittedly off a low base). Efficiency improvements could help wider adoption if the graphene can be supplied at lower cost. Still waiting on a decent sized order.

Significant efficiency improvements achieved at Henderson graphene manufacturing facility

Highlights

New German-made Retsch mill enables 60% improvement in downstream process efficiency and makes milling process 67% more cost effective

A faster, more efficient drying facility with Micrea microwave due to be commissioned in mid-2024 to further improve the production process and save labour and energy costs

Optimisation trials and equipment supported through Federal Government Manufacturing Modernisation Fund Grant

Overall improvements in plant efficiency over the past 12 months include 32% improvement in the production rate, 25% reduction in power costs and greater ability to provide a wider range of graphene products to meet customer requirements.

"Increased interest and demand for PureGRAPH® 5 means the Company is taking commensurate steps to ensure capacity to supply what has been historically an expensive product to make and requires a long processing time."

Held in RL

As predicted SPP for $5M at 19% discount to 5 day VWAP 3% of raise to broker, not underwritten.

Funds raised to be used to accelerate the commercialisation of FGR’s highly successful graphene-enhanced cement and concrete solutions

No details on how it is being spent.

Issue of up to approximately 78,125,000 Shares at an issue price of A$0.064 per Share. ~13% dilution

Last gasp, will be interesting to see what the take up is.

Disc Held in RL

Not a great take up of SPP. 2 of 4 on board took part.I chose not to add to my holding. Keeps the lights on for a little while.

$5K from Mike Bell$20K from Michael Quinert .Nothing from Warwick Grigor!

45M shares for $2.9M $200K from sophisticated investors.

FGR moves in to graphene oxide production. Overlaps with a couple of ASX companies that I own/follow. DEM/ CNQ are both pursuing the GO water filtration market. FGR successfully produced multi-kilogram quantities of graphene oxide.

Graphene oxide is similar to graphene but has a high oxygen content which makes it readily dispersible in water. The material is strong, flexible and porous with a high surface area, which is suitable for filtration and supercapacitor applications.

Graphene oxide successfully produced at Henderson facility using a modified version of existing graphene production process

• Sustainable and cost-effective process conducted with minimal waste streams

• High-quality graphene oxide opens up extensive new opportunities not previously considered, including water filtration 

The graphene oxide product was manufactured in a cost-effective, scalable, and repeatable process that produces a consistent product with minimal waste streams.

First Graphene’s product will meet the needs of various industries, with strong demand already identified in water purification and desalination processes. The Company is currently in discussions with customers in these markets. Graphene oxide’s characteristics make it suitable for use in polar thermoplastic polymers, such as PVC, polyesters and nylon, as well as aqueous coatings. The graphene oxide market presents a significant opportunity for the Company, poised to reach USD$2.7 billion by 20331 . Graphene oxide can also be deployed in concrete applications, diversifying and enhancing First Graphene’s product offerings to cement and concrete clients around the world. 

Disclosure: I hold FGR (largest holding outside of Strawman and a near 100% return) and still believe in my thesis despite being frustrated with the pace of progress. It is a product with benefits across a wide range of applications and therefore a large addressable market, the production method is scalable, the company has a degree of first mover advantage but the management have been unable to meet projected progress.

First Graphene has promised much but not delivered expected sales in the last 2 years despite predicting positive cash flow by the end of 2019 and working with a reported 50+ possible customers.

They have a process that is scalable and produces consistent graphene (https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/e4a9f3377f8f8d89fb6f63ea6a592a31) of varying platelet size that can suit different applications. 

“??PureGRAPH® is consistently high quality graphene platelets. Previous work by Professor Losic’s group has shown these can be “tailored” for end users by functionalising the platelets with specific chemicals. This demonstrates the versatility and unique nature of PureGRAPH® products.”

They recently developed an easily dispersible mix.

(https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/6696ca9653bc9d62ad1f56246bff0cff)

“Pre-dispersed graphene additive in a water solution allows easier mixing and dispersion into water and solvent-based formulations.”

They were the first Australian company to register for bulk sales in Australia and are also registered for Europe bulk sales.

The benefits of using small amounts of graphene are significant in improving strength, abrasion and fire resistance in a range of applications.

Current products using FGR graphene include swimming pools, work boots, mining bucket liners “62-week trial showed a 6x longer life for liners due to significantly reduced abrasion wear rates” (https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/f634b7c2ef606499d38e84e2af94758f) and concrete

“The compressive and flexural strength of cement-based mortars improves by 34.3% and 26.9% respectively  Benefits extend into Recycled Aggregate Concrete (RAC) with an increased compressive and tensile strengths by 43.9% and 24.1%  Significant sustainability benefits with an approximate 40% reduction in water permeability (https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/3551cd573b16aeaa287aabe950787338 ).

They have a strong research base with a couple of universities (Manchester, Adelaide) and an interesting spin off VFD to produce graphene oxide and another for possibly blue hydrogen.

“The results provide the potential of being able to provide bespoke graphene oxide for varying applications.” (https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/bc74e957ee0ccf639f5a028ac88af4d6 )

“Metal oxide coated graphene is shown to be an effective catalyst for next-generation hydrogen fuel cells  Graphene materials could replace high-cost platinum catalysts”

(https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/8d85c4fda578b964de73cbbfafa30439 )

“Dr. Richard Price (Kainos Innovation Ltd), the inventor of the technology, which directly converts low-cost hydrocarbon feedstocks to graphene materials and hydrogen gas is actively engaged with the First Graphene team. “

UK Patent Office have confirmed that an exclusively licensed, process patent will be granted in the United Kingdom 

(https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/70aa7406fbe5574504edaa7fd7db28eb )

They have a significant amount of high quality graphene already produced and this is theoretically their big advantage over other producers. Theoretically plants could be built on site to provide large scale production where needed as the uptake grows.

A significant number of Options are about to expire and many holders are angry over a recent placement which makes the options not worth taking up at current share price.

An imminent agreement with a large South American steel producer Gerdau has missed the deadline suggested by a director.

“Gerdau S.A. to be the exclusive distributor for FGR’s range of products in defined territories and end applications in the Americas.  Distribution territories will include Brazil, South America and potentially the USA  NYSE-listed Gerdau (NYSE:GGB) is Brazil's largest steel producer and one of the leading producers of long steel in the Americas and of special steel in the world, “ (https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/a2e655e8d1829d95cd725bec09806e5c )

So what is the problem? Various possibilities have been raised.

Need for long term testing before being acceptable for use in large scale applications.

Unclear cost benefits when items last much longer.

Cheaper, lower quality graphene being chosen for point of difference marketing use in products eg. clothing.

Poor marketing ability from the company.

Certainly there has been real frustration from shareholders over the lack of explanation behind missing proposed deadlines and the lack of updates positive or negative.

“Firestop™ product offers a new approach to fire retardant coatings which facilitates fire protection using thinner coatings – reducing both coating material consumption and labour costs during application • Test work continues to demonstrate that First Graphene FireStop™ outperforms existing fire-retardant coatings.” (https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/0f181e7253fc54146fa84c1becc6679f )

Last update was 10/2020 

“First Graphene and TPR2 have entered into an NDA to complete due diligence with the view to commercialisation of PureGRAPH® enhanced fire retardant coatings.”

(https://app.sharelinktechnologies.com/announcement/asx/2202bff80e9903fa19669386714a0e90 )

As a Chemist all the science adds up and I believe that the commercialisation of graphene will happen. I strongly hope that a Perth based, Australian company will be at the forefront and not lose its lead in this exciting technology.

I am not sure about a valuation as current sales could multiply many times with 1 or 2 substantial deals but no idea of a timeline. 

Arrowhead valuation and detailed report Feb 2021 in a broad range 0.25 -0.52

https://firstgraphene.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/First-Graphene-ABID-Report-26-February-2021.pdf

FGR gets a mention on Matt Ferrell's Youtube channel 990K subscribers and 172K views for this video. Explaining the use in concrete, cement and silicon anode research from 6mins-9mins.

Good to raise the companies profile.

Black swan graphene a UK/Canadian producer aiming for a selling price of $8-10 per kg which is substantially less than FGR. Also targeting the concrete market. Looks like FGR is rapidly losing is first mover advantage.

FGR Held in RL

Although sales are increasing and costs reducing they do not have enough cash ($3.2M) to keep going so will be looking to raise soon. $1.8M in finished goods on inventory. All revenue from Australia so all the concrete / cement trials are not producing revenue yet.

For the period ended 30 June 2023 the entity recorded a loss of $5,422,321 (2022:$5,033,108) and had net cash outflows from operating activities of $3,402,301 (2022:$4,399,409). The ability of the entity to continue as a going concern is dependent on securing additional funding through the sale of equity securities to either existing or new shareholders to continue to fund its operational and marketing activities.

It’s that time of year again! FGR with 2 announcements prior to AGM. It has been very quiet on the Kainos cavitation technology (turns petroleum in to graphite, graphene and hydrogen) now a MOU to seek funds to develop a pilot plant in UAE and a 5 year exclusive distribution deal of PureGRAPH for Europe excluding concrete and cement (no details of arrangement ).

Attempt to pump before a CR? I expect to see more of these sort of announcements from a number of my loss making investments ????

This announcement is the first stage of the possible company saver. Positive early results from the 600 tonne concrete trial. Further trials later this year. No indication of duration until commercial orders could be received.

Initial early-stage compressive strength gain data indicates up to 10% increase which meets performance expectations

• First stage results demonstrate route to a 15% reduction in carbon emissions, providing the cement and concrete industry a solution to meet environmental sustainability targets

• Viability of producing industrial-scale graphene enhanced quantities confirmed, further validating PureGRAPH® benefits to the cement and concrete industry

• Further trials (Phase 2) planned, aiming at optimising dosage rates and addition methodology

During the production trials, the PureGRAPH® enhanced during the dispersion of graphene, and the cement produced conformed with Breedon’s strict quality control parameters.

The trial also demonstrates graphene enhanced cement can be supplied using existing infrastructure and facilities and, when used in construction settings, no additional equipment or training is required for the applicators.

The graphene enhanced cement was used to create a temporary wheel washing facility at a major infrastructure project. This provides an optimal and challenging environment to test the strength and permeability of the graphene-enhanced concrete slab, as it will be subject to constant heavy vehicle traffic, high water loadings from washed wheels and high dust loadings from incoming vehicles.

The graphene-enhanced concrete was successfully poured on site and the initial results indicate a good level of strength gain and a high level of consistency between the concrete batches. The concrete slab has met its performance targets and, through careful selection of the cement used, it has delivered a 15% reduction in CO2 emissions over ordinary Portland Cement, providing a route to the construction industry meeting their Environmental Sustainability Targets. The graphene- enhanced concrete was batched using “industry-standard” processes and equipment.

Morgan Sindall will continue to monitor the performance of the installation, providing Breedon with valuable real-world data in a harsh off network environment.

Must be a cap raise coming. SP got a big bump from the last announcement. Further no revenue announcement (marked as price sensitive) about JV with Breedon who will receive discounted product.

Joint Development and Commercialisation Agreement with the UK’s largest cement manufacturer, Breedon Group

Both companies have agreed to focus on enhancing the mechanical performance of Breedon’s CEM II Cement, which has a lower clinker factor than CEM I, such that its compressive strength matches that of its CEM I product.

Under the initial two-year Agreement, FGR will conduct wide ranging research, provide specialist advice and technical support on graphene and graphene-based formulations.

Breedon will supply FGR with access to cement market data, as well as support and access to its Hope Cement Works processing facility and personnel support, enabling it to conduct trials in a controlled environment.

Should results of research and development work undertaken through the Agreement deliver commercial opportunities, First Graphene retains the right to own the intellectual property for any product being delivered to the open market.

As a key partner, Breedon will receive a preferential price on any future commercial product developed under the Agreement.