Directa Plus' graphene used in high-tech asphalt at Formula 1 circuit
() , a producer and supplier of graphene nanoplatelet-based products, announced the installation of GiPave asphalt containing its graphene at the F1 Imola circuit, ahead of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix in May 2024.
GiPave is a high-tech asphalt, developed by Iterchimica in partnership with G.Eco of A2A Group, the University of Milano-Bicocca, and Directa Plus. GiPave uses graphene supplied by , alongside hard-to-recycle plastics from products like toys, crates, and CD cases that cannot normally be recycled. The GiPave asphalt itself is entirely recyclable.
The access road paving to the paddocks at Imola has been resurfaced with GiPave, as it experiences the highest volume of heavy vehicles and people at race events. This is expected to significantly improve the performance, resistance, and durability of the pavement, extending its life beyond what is possible with current technologies, and materially reducing maintenance requirements.
Giulio Cesareo, CEO of Directa Plus, commenting:
"I am thrilled to see that the Imola Circuit is now the first in the world to implement an innovative, green asphalt solution incorporating our Graphene Plus®, thanks to our partnership with Iterchimica. This project underlines the limitless applications of Gipave-from bridges and motorways to airports and now race tracks. The outstanding properties of Graphene Plus continue to pave the way for more sustainable infrastructure globally.
Iterchimica and Directa Plus are pushing the boundaries of technology and sustainability and we are delighted to be collaborating with the Group with which we with share the same goal to build a greener future."
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Directa Plus' graphene has been used in the proprietary high-tech asphalt GiPave, installed at Formula 1's Imola circuit ahead of the upcoming Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix. This makes Imola the first and only circuit in the world to feature a high-tech, green asphalt utilising graphene and recycled plastics.
GiPave - the result of a partnership between Iterchimica and Directa Plus - has several significant advantages to traditional surfaces. The use of graphene materially enhances resistance to damage and overall longevity while reducing the need for maintenance. Additionally, the asphalt contains a large amount of recycled materials and is itself fully recyclable. These properties make it the greenest and most sustainable asphalt solution on the market today.
Using GiPave results in significant energy and raw materials savings. For Imola, the solution over its useful life is expected to yield savings of 78,000 kg of bitumen, 1.62 million kg of aggregates, 115 truck trips for transporting materials, over 1.18 GWh of energy, and 74,000 of CO2 eq. In addition 3,700 kg of hard recycled plastics have been recovered.
GiPave has a wide range of applications beyond race tracks, such as bridges, highways, runways and taxiways, and any surface that is expected to endure high stress over its lifespan. Asphalt is only one application of Directa's pioneering graphene portfolio that has seen deployments in defence, industrial manufacturing, and textiles. The news of the high-tech asphalt's deployment elicited a positive reaction from markets, sending AIM-listed 5% higher.
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