The Italian company Polimeri Europa s.p.a. has filed US patent application number 20120264836 to protect the use of graphene in expandable thermoplastic composites for thermal insulation. The invention is based on a polymer matrix with embedded graphene nanoplatelets. The polymer is used to be able to stretch the compound into sheets, while the graphene is responsible for the thermal insulation. The product provides an alternative to insulation based on carbon blacks and, according to the patentees, provides better insulation than existing solutions.The prime target industry is construction.
Polimeri Europa is part of Eni, “a major integrated energy company”. I would be interested to see which graphene company partners with Polimeri to mass-produce the insulation compound.
