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Gerdau, Alongside IPT, Inaugurated a Research Center Focused on Technological Advances Using Graphene Technologies. In the Initial Phase of the Project, R$ 6.9 Million Will Be Invested
IPT and Gerdau, aiming to improve their technologies for industry and foster technological advances, inaugurated on Wednesday (23) the Advanced Materials Center in Graphene and New Technological Applications, which was approved in the public call for Establishment of Technology and Innovation Centers Focused on Advanced Materials. The call aims to increase technological development and innovation in Brazil, anticipating the sale of high-value services and products in strategic minerals and advanced materials so that the lack of technology diminishes, achieving national sovereignty in this regard.
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Get to Know Gerdau and IPT’s CIGraph Better
The research center, focused on technological advances using graphene, was developed to ensure continuity and the generation of technical-scientific knowledge, as well as to provide means to expand the competitiveness of Brazilian industries.
Among these industries is Gerdau, one of the largest steel producers in Brazil. To this end, the center, made in partnership with IPT, will have three essential pillars in knowledge areas, such as oils and greases, polymers, and concrete.
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Graphene, when used alongside these materials, aims to improve thermal and mechanical resistance functionalities, as well as enhance barrier capabilities against gases and liquids. Another focus of the center will be technological advances in biodegradability and the use of new functions, such as antiviral and antimicrobial. The advancements will be carried out in two phases, where the first will deliver base products to the market and the second will develop demonstrators in the polymer sector.
Gerdau and IPT Comment on the Center for Technological Advances Using Graphene
According to Adriano Marim de Oliveira, Director of Operations at IPT, there are high expectations for the project. The executive states that the partnership between Gerdau and IPT could represent a significant advancement in the manufacturing of nano-structured products, generating technological advances for the use of graphene in the country. The General Director of Gerdau Graphene, Alexandre de Toledo Corrêa, states that the companies seek to be a reference in large-scale graphene products in the country and worldwide, highlighting that the partnership is strategic to strengthen this goal.
Therefore, there is nothing better than having an entire space to share experiences and accelerate the implementation of startups focused on technological advances, getting closer to brilliant national researchers and contributing to the training of technicians, PhD students, and master’s students who will be the next generation of experts in the field.
New Research Center Will Receive R$ 6.9 Million in Investments
Gerdau Graphene is part of Gerdau Next’s portfolio, a division of new businesses for the company that aims to diversify the Brazilian company’s portfolio with steel-related businesses.
The initial investment in the center is R$ 6.9 million, where R$ 4 million were contributed by Finep, R$ 2 million by Gerdau, and R$ 1.7 million by IPT. The Center already has around 50 professionals, including researchers, technicians, and scholarship holders from various fields of study. The duration is set for 36 months, and the business plan estimates sales of products in the short, medium, and long term.
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