Leading concrete producer to trial high-quality graphene to improve material properties

Rimere, a climate solutions company with proprietary plasma technology, and Holliday Rock, one of the leading producers of concrete and asphalt in California, today announced a new co-development agreement for Rimere’s high-quality graphene to be tested in Holliday Rock’s concrete applications.

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Rimere Advances its Graphene Development with Holliday Rock (Photo: Business Wire)

The development and testing partnership will see graphene, a remarkably thin material composed of a single layer of atoms and known to be 200 times stronger than steel, tested in Holliday Rock’s concrete for potential incorporation into production. The trial is structured to determine the significance the combination has to enhance concrete’s properties in terms of strength, elasticity, shrinkage, shielding, durability, and penetration.

Rimere is currently developing and testing two independent devices, the Reformer and the Mitigator, that reduce climate harming emissions and enable the use of natural gas to accelerate the transition to a clean hydrogen future. Rimere’s Reformer device produces graphene as a co-product. It transforms natural gas into high-quality graphene and clean hydrogen without generating any CO2 emissions.

Graphene is a material with extraordinary properties and is increasingly being applied with notable success across numerous industries such as batteries and semi-conductors, composites and resins, and building materials such as concrete. It is recognized to be 200 times stronger than steel, 40 times harder than diamond, 500 percent more thermally conductive than aluminum and 160% more electrically conductive than copper.

"Holliday Rock is a very respected and forward-thinking leader in an industry that is not always thought to be so. Our partnership has been formed with innovation and sustainability in mind and this testing will explore the possibilities that graphene can offer in advancing construction materials. The results could drastically change both the very foundations of the concrete industry, but also help with the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions issues which are some of the most difficult to abate,” said CEO of Rimere, Mitchell Pratt.

"Partnering with Rimere aligns with our goal to deliver high-quality, cutting-edge, sustainable solutions as part of our offering. By integrating graphene into our concrete formulations, we hope to raise the bar for the industry, ultimately increasing the value and utility of concrete, while reducing the carbon intensity of construction,” said Sam Rade, Director of Sustainability and Strategy for Holliday Rock.

Rimere has developed a proprietary process to further functionalize its graphene into graphene oxide, an “immediate use” water-soluble form of graphene but without harsh chemicals and other labor intensive processes typically required. As part of the co-development relationship, Rimere will provide Holliday Rock with graphene oxide to evaluate its performance under typical concrete lab test conditions. The tests are aimed at proving graphene’s potential to improve the properties of concrete.

Cement production is responsible for approximately 7 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is a difficult to abate sector. This co-development agreement explores practical approaches to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing performance of construction materials.

About Rimere

Rimere is an advanced technology solutions company focused on providing practical and meaningful products that reduce the impact of GHG emissions and deliver affordable zero-emission hydrogen to meet increasing global energy demands. Additionally, Rimere’s Reformer produces a valuable co-product known as graphene. Graphene is recognized as this century’s wonder material with applications that range from reducing GHG emissions to dramatically improving the performance of existing products. Visit rimere.com and on LinkedIn.

About Holliday Rock

Holliday Rock, independently owned and operated in California since 1937, is a leading producer of ready-mix concrete, asphalt and aggregates. As a regional material supplier, Holliday Rock is known for its commitment to quality, reliability, and sustainability. Visit www.hollidayrock.com and on LinkedIn.

Rimere media contact: mediainquiry@rimere.com

Holliday Rock media contact: Peggy Robertson – probertson@hollidayrock.com