Perpetuus Carbon Technologies Ltd, a subsidiary of Perpetuus Advanced Materials Ltd, announce the completion of a ‘real world’ road testing programme of car tires enhanced with its surface engineered graphenes.
Director Mr. Ian Walters said, “This 6-month competitive testing programme, has definitively demonstrated the economic benefits and advantages of including Perpetuus surface modified graphene fillers within a tire elastomer”.
Over the last 6 months, Perpetuus graphene enhanced tires were fitted to high mileage, commercial light vehicles, which primarily travel on the UK’s A and B roads.
“Potentially we could make a 40% saving on our annual tire budget and that’s a lot of money” Mr Rickard, owner of the test vehicles
Perpetuus graphene enhanced tires and new global premium brand ‘household name’ tires were fitted on the vehicles, of the same marque and model. The vehicles were monitored, and the performance results provided an opportunity to compare a graphene enhanced tire with a globally recognised premium brand tire. The results of the road tests concluded the Perpetuus tire, enhanced with its surface engineered graphenes, produced an average of 40% increase in wear resistance over its competitor.
Mr. Ricketts, owner of the test vehicles said, “We have a fleet of vans delivering parts, 6 days a week, in all weathers and on all types of road, from dual carriage ways, A and B roads, not to mention the rough country lanes. The data collected during the exercise surpassed our expectations and has shown that Perpetuus tires outlasted the premier brand tyres. Potentially we could make a 40% saving on our annual tire budget and that’s a lot of money”
On the back of these performance results, Perpetuus has extended its comparative, ‘head to head’ testing to other premium brand tires. To date, the feedback is consistent with the initial testing results, indicating an average 40% improvement of wear resistance.
Cycle and car tires enhanced with Perpetuus graphenes are currently and simultaneously being road tested on bikes, light commercial vehicles and taxis in Asia and Europe. Perpetuus surfaced engineered graphenes are currently also being introduced into development programs for aircraft and industrial tires.
Perpetuus are currently collaborating with 7 passenger vehicle, motorcycle and cycle tires manufacturers, who plan to be the first companies to bring the benefits of graphene enhanced tires to the mass market.
Hero Cycles, the worlds largest cycle manufacturer, is pioneering a mass -market entry of Perpetuus graphene enhanced cycle tires. Later this month, Hero will take delivery of the first tires for a pre - production trial, for use on their premier brand bicycles.
“ It’s been a pleasure working with Perpetuus developing the next generation graphene enhanced tire for our range of prestige cycles” Head of Creative Design. Abhishek Pratap Sing Hero Cycles global design centre in Manchester
Each of the tire manufacturers have worked in tandem with Perpetuus to reformulate their current compounds, to incorporate Perpetuus surface modified graphenes into specific product lines. By targeting differing market segments, including ‘eco tires’, hyper-high performance car, cycle and other tire types, they seek to demonstrate that surface engineered graphenes have high levels of versatility, when incorporated into elastomer based compounds.
Perpetuus engineers its graphenes, specifically for each of their customer’s formulations and designated purpose.
Actual vehicles used on tire wear resistance tests
Asian Taxis
This creates the opportunity for a manufacturer to uniquely enhance and vary the performance criteria in their product range. This also means that as well as increasing the working life of a tire, graphene enhancement can vary other characteristics, such as, traction, ride comfort, noise, appearance and the fuel economy of a vehicle. The first launches of the graphene-enhanced tires are planned later this year, in Q4 and Q1 2019.
“Enhancement with surface modified graphenes can vary other characteristics, such as, traction; ride comfort, noise, appearance and the fuel economy of a vehicle”
New Factory at Olympus Park
Perpetuus has moved its patented production facility to Olympus Park, Swansea, South Wales, where it currently has the capacity to produce 500 tonnes per annum of nano surface engineered graphenes. As the tire manufacturers increase demand for surface engineered graphenes, output at the Swansea facility, can be increased to 1,000 tonnes per annum and thereafter incrementally raised to 10,000 tonnes per annum.
Perpetuus production facility in Olympus Park, Swansea, South Wales
"3 billion tires will be sold globally in 2019" Reference Freedonia World Tires report.
Independent market analysis indicates that 3 billion tires will be sold globally in 2019. The US manufactured almost 170 million of global tire production in 2015. Perpetuus capacity to produce 1000 tonnes of graphene fillers for elastomers supports the manufacturing of 10 million 15’’ car tires. Perpetuus believe they have finally demonstrated the long sought after mass-market application for graphenes, supported by a patented, reliable, scalable and environmentally friendly technology, for producing high quality surface engineered graphenes, in industrial quantities, at commercially affordable prices.
Perpetuus research and development facility at Imperial Park, Newport