Directa Plus PLC Directa Plus and Iterchimica develop Eco Pave
November 23 2017 - 1:01AM
RNS Non-Regulatory
TIDMDCTA
Directa Plus PLC
23 November 2017
23 November 2017
Directa Plus plc
("Directa Plus" or the "Company")
Directa Plus and Iterchimica develop Eco Pave graphene-enhanced
asphalt additive
New super-additive containing Graphene Plus significantly
improves the durability and sustainability of asphalt road
surfaces
Directa Plus plc (AIM: DCTA), a producer and supplier of
graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets,
is pleased to announce its collaboration with Iterchimica S.r.l.,
an established producer and distributor of specialised additives
for asphalt. The collaboration with Iterchimica is focused on
developing a graphene-enhanced asphalt additive, which is
patent-pending, that can significantly improve the durability and
sustainability of asphalt road surfaces. The new additive
incorporating the Company's Graphene Plus (G+) has been launched by
Iterchimica as Eco Pave.
Following the success of laboratory and small-scale trials,
Iterchimica will now conduct a pilot test with an asphalt producer
where Eco Pave will be used as an additive for asphalt covering
several kilometres of road surface. The Company anticipates
receiving an initial order for G+ before the year-end for the pilot
test.
The presence of G+ produces a technically-advanced, sustainable
additive that significantly enhances the performance of asphalt
used for road surfacing. In particular, due to the thermal
regulation properties of G+, the asphalt is less susceptible to
hardening and cracking in cold temperatures as well as to softening
in warm temperatures. It increases the elasticity and strength to
reduce the wear, particularly with high loads, which is especially
beneficial for maintenance purposes such as repairing potholes. In
addition, road surfaces built with asphalt containing Eco Pave will
be recyclable with up to 100% of the milled asphalt being
repeatedly re-used to build a new pavement, which avoids the
landfilling of the exhausted material as well as the extraction of
new bitumen.
Based on their research, Iterchimica estimate that the addition
of Eco Pave will extend the life of an asphalt road surface from
the current average of 6-7 years to 12-14 years. Thanks to the
joint R&D process undertaken by Directa Plus and Iterchimica,
the parties have been able to produce Eco Pave at a commercially
viable selling price. As a result, asphalt containing Eco Pave will
significantly reduce maintenance costs for local
administrations.
"We increasingly realise that a great part of the value of a
product comes from its intangible dimension - where research,
reputation and the meaning of what we want to achieve play a key
role," said Giulio Cesareo, Chief Executive Officer of Directa
Plus. "Asphalt enhanced with Graphene Plus is another development
in terms of sustainability, which is a value that we at Directa
Plus have firmly believed in from the very beginning. Our approach
to sustainability includes a sustainable production process,
sustainable products, and applications for sustainability such as
using Grafysorber(R) to decontaminate water and now this
application that extends asphalt life."
"Research and innovation have been the distinguishing features
of Iterchimica since its foundation 50 years ago, " added Federica
Giannattasio, Chief Executive Officer of Iterchimica. "We were the
first to create cold patch asphalts, and the first to create
additives to recycle asphalts and to extend pavement life. The road
is often in the news in relation to accidents or potholes, and few
people are aware that there are technologies that can significantly
improve its features with relevant environmental benefits and
savings for public administrations, citizens and general
contractors. This super-additive containing Graphene Plus
demonstrates that it is possible to create sustainable and
highly-performant road surfaces. The next step is to partner with
an organisation that manages and builds roads to create the test
routes that will validate the performance benefits of Eco Pave and
lead to the eternal roads of the future."
Enquiries
Directa Plus plc
--------------------------------------- ----------------
Giulio Cesareo, CEO
Marco Ferrari, CFO +39 02 36714458
--------------------------------------- ----------------
Cantor Fitzgerald Europe (Nominated
Adviser and Broker)
--------------------------------------- ----------------
Marc Milmo, David Foreman, Callum
Butterfield (Corporate Finance) +44 20 7894
Alex Pollen (Sales) 7000
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Luther Pendragon (Financial PR)
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Harry Chathli, Claire Norbury, Alexis +44 20 7618
Gore 9100
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About Directa Plus
Directa Plus is one of the largest producers and suppliers of
graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets
worldwide. By incorporating Directa Plus' unique graphene blends,
identified by the G+ brand, its customers can enhance the
performance of their end products without significantly increasing
their cost. Directa Plus graphene-based products are natural,
chemical-free, sustainably produced and tailored to specific
customer requirements for commercial applications such as smart
textiles, tyres, composite materials and environmental
solutions.
Established in 2005, the Company has a patented technology
process and a scalable and exportable manufacturing model. It
produces graphene-based products at its own factory in Lomazzo,
Italy, and can set up additional production at customer locations
to reduce transport costs, waste and time-to-utilisation. Directa
Plus partners with customers to enable them to offer the
high-performance benefits of graphene in their own products.
About Iterchimica
Iterchimica S.r.l. is an Italian firm founded in 1967 by
Gabriele Giannattasio and which now operates in over 80 countries
providing additives for asphalt. Iterchimica produces and
distributes products that enhance both asphalt performance and the
laying of road surfaces in order to increase safety, environmental
sustainability, and efficiency. The organization has commercial and
production facilities in Europe and the Americas. Iterchimica
collaborates with contracting authorities, construction companies,
general contractors, and design studios in roadway planning,
construction, and maintenance and in the provision of products and
technical support. Iterchimica labs have been certified by the
Italian Ministry of Education and Research, and the company
maintains ongoing partnerships with the leading Italian
universities with specializations in paving and chemical research.
Iterchimica S.r.l. is a founding member of the Italian association
for the asphalt industry, SITEB.
This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
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