The graphene race begins in Brazil: Gerdau announces the creation of a company to invest in and produce ore

Gerdau has launched a new company that will develop graphene applications. The objective, with the new investment in the ore, will be to enter strategic sectors

Gerdau, the largest steel producer in Brazil, announced the creation of a new company in the graphene segment. The company invested in ore with the aim of adding more value to its customers and entering strategic areas in several sectors. The company's announcement came last Thursday (15/04), also highlighting that Gerdau Graphene, the name given to the new company, is also focused on becoming a reference in the sale of ore.

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Gerdau's New Graphene Company

Gerdau Graphene will act independently from the steel business unit, and its objective is to become a reference company in the large-scale application of graphene in Brazil and in the commercialization of products derived from the ore. The company is still committed to entering the global market.

The ore has advantages in terms of mechanical properties, such as weight reduction and friction reduction, greater lubrication efficiency and greater thermal and electrical conductivity.

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The new Gerdau company already has a relevant position in the ore market, becoming a major developer of graphene in the Americas. The company, which is headquartered in São Paulo, and has a branch in the United States, plans to provide more technology in the areas of construction, industrial and automotive lubricants, rubber, thermoplastics, paints and sensors in Brazil and North American countries.

Gerdau's new business plan and the use of ore

Gerdau Graphene is part of Gerdau's new business unit, called Gerdau Next, which will operate independently from the steel business unit. Alexandre de Toledo Corrêa, general manager of Gerdau Graphene, said in a note that the first customer for the use of ore will be Gerdau itself and its steel mills.

Juliano Prado, vice-president of Gerdau, highlighted that, since 2019, the company has been working with graphene in Manchester, England. According to him, graphene is one of the most robust products ever found and one of the best conductors on the market, with a lot of potential.

Gerdau also recently announced that it will invest around R$ 1 billion in the production and sale of special steels this year. The investment amount will be used to modernize and expand the business to meet the positive outlook in the automotive and mechanical equipment sectors. The largest steel producer in Brazil said, in a statement, that the value is part of the global investment announced in February, in the amount of 3,5 billion reais. Due to the economic impact of the pandemic, some of the plan's features are related to the 2020 plan, which has been postponed.

The use and properties of graphene

Graphene is an ore composed only of carbon, in which the atoms are bonded together to form a hexagonal structure. In other words, it refers to a crystalline form of carbon, much like diamond and graphite.

Due to its unique characteristics, ore has become the greatest electrical conductor today, one of the best thermal conductors and one of the most resistant materials. In addition to its extremely high flexibility and water resistance, its optical properties also allow nearly 98% of incident light to pass through.

According to the general director of Gerdau Graphene, graphene applications go beyond anti-corrosion coatings and polymer compounds used in the automotive and construction, chemical, plastic and rubber markets. Alexandre also stated that Gerdau Graphene started to act as an integration center for the entire chain and existing research in Brazil and the world to accelerate and promote its application in customers' processes and products.