Sparc Technologies has announced the commencement of ecosparc (its flagship graphene-based additive product) field trials with the South Australian Department for Infrastructure and Transport (DIT).
The steel piles for the Streaky Bay Jetty remediation project have been delivered to DIT for blasting and coating. Sparc has provided both the ecosparc-enhanced and control coating to DIT and agreed the arrangement of the steel piles on the project.
Piles pertaining to the field trial will be placed at three locations along the jetty covering the full range of conditions and exposure on the asset. These piles will be monitored throughout the life of the trial, with a particular focus on adhesion over the first 6 months.
Sparc’s expectation is that coating and curing will take place during June with transport and erection of the piles onsite during Q3 2024. Sparc expects to progress works for the second trial with DIT at West Beach Bridge in Adelaide later this year.
The primary objective of the field trials is to evaluate the application and performance of an ecosparc-enhanced coating under real-world conditions. Sparc has noted the strong demand for field trials of ecosparc from asset owners as evidence that there is a market demand for better performing anti-corrosive coatings.
Results from the independent life cycle assessment completed in Q3 2023 indicated that ecosparc-enhanced coatings can reduce the CO2 emissions and costs associated with the maintenance of steel assets by 18 - 21%1 and 19 – 23%1 respectively, when benchmarked against the same non-enhanced epoxy based
protective coatings.
Sparc believes that successful field trials will encourage market demand for ecosparc-enhanced coatings from large steel infrastructure owners on a commercial basis.