Extrusion line meets graphene

The partnership between Luigi Bandera spa and Cambridge Graphene Center (CGC) aims to investigate and implement new applications due to integration of graphene and other 2D materials with several polymers via the extrusion process, the pelletizing of the new composites and the integration in already standard products with new structural characterisation for increased features or to develop new advanced plastic products.

Part of this event is the Cambridge Graphene Technology Industry Showcase where Bandera spa will present its plastics extrusion lines for substrate films and foil/sheet with industrial production output up to several tons per hour and dimensions up to 22 m for agricultural applications and 3 m for packaging, converting, printing, lamination or up to 8.5 m for waterproof systems, with multilayer (3 to 9) structure.

The sectors in which Bandera machinery operates are: industrial and food packaging, agriculture, building, geomembrane, aeronautics, automotive, to mention a few.

At its headquarters in Italy, Bandera has created The House of Extrusion. It is the most innovative European extrusion centre for packaging and converting, where academia, research centres and industry can scale up their prototypes to industrial volumes.

A new laboratory is soon to be installed 'Extruding Future Plastics Now' where in collaboration with CGC it will be possible to test new applications in order to create prototypes which can be eventually scaled up once their properties have proved innovative.

Bandera also has an international patent to create a photovoltaic plastics solar panel all-in-one extrusion process. The extreme multifaceted graphene properties (conductivity, transparency, barrier, strength, etc.) make it an important candidate as an additive in plastic multilayer products.