7 March 2022
Directa Plus plc
("Directa Plus" or the "Company")
Oxfordshire County Council Starts New Trial of GiPave
Oxford road to be paved with graphene supermodifier and normal asphalt
Directa Plus (AIM: DCTA), a leading producer and supplier of graphene nanoplatelets based products for use in consumer and industrial markets, announces that Oxfordshire County Council is starting its second trial of a patented asphalt concrete modifier developed by Iterchimica and enhanced by the Company's Graphene Plus. The new trial will see two identical stretches of Marsh Lane in Oxford, which carries around 10,000 vehicles a day along a key city route, resurfaced with different materials. Half of a 700-metre stretch of the road will be laid with GiPave®, while the rest will be resurfaced using conventional asphalt, so that the two surfaces can be compared.
This second trial follows a successful first pilot scheme in Curbridge, Oxfordshire in 2019. Analysis of this scheme showed GiPave® increases the lifespan of the surface by up to 70 per cent compared to conventional resurfacing methods. The risk of rutting under loads from heavy goods vehicles is also reduced by increased stiffness in the product. GiPave® was developed by Iterchimica with the support of Directa Plus and resulted from a three-year research programme with a patent filed in 2017. The product uses waste plastics that would not normally be recycled and the asphalt containing GiPave® can itself be entirely recycled - promoting the 'circular economy,' which reduces waste and the need for new materials.
Commenting, Giulio Cesareo, Founder and CEO of Directa Plus, said: "Local, regional and national governments are increasingly focused on both value for money and reducing carbon footprints. GiPave®can improve performance and reduce environmental costs.
"This new trial follows a number of successful trials and pilot schemes in the UK and Italy with the product now gaining considerable traction in construction markets. GiPave® is yet another product launching into commercial markets containing our Graphene Plus, a pure form of graphene produced through a sustainable process which is certified safe for humans and the environment."
For further information please visit http://www.directa-plus.com/ or contact:
Directa Plus plc |
+39 02 36714458 |
Giulio Cesareo, CEO / Giorgio Bonfanti, CFO |
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Cenkos Securities plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) |
+44 131 220 6939 |
Neil McDonald / Adam Rae |
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Singer Capital Markets (Joint Broker) |
+44 20 7496 3069 |
Rick Thompson / Phil Davies |
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Tavistock (Financial PR and IR) |
+44 20 7920 3150 |
Simon Hudson / Heather Armstrong |
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About Directa Plus
Directa Plus (www.directa-plus.com) is one of the largest producers and suppliers of graphene-based products for use in consumer and industrial markets. The Company's graphene manufacturing capability uses proprietary patented technology based on a plasma super expansion process. Starting from natural graphite, each step of Directa Plus' production process - expansion, exfoliation and drying - creates graphene-based materials and hybrid graphene materials ready for a variety of uses and available in various forms such as powder, liquid and paste.
This proprietary production process uses a physical process, rather than a chemical process, to process graphite into pristine graphene nanoplatelets, which enables Directa Plus to offer a sustainable, non-toxic product, without unwanted by-products. Directa Plus' products are made of hybrid graphene materials and graphene nano-platelets. The products (marketed as G+®) have multiple applications due to its properties. These G+® products can be categorised into various families, with different products being suitable for specific practical applications.
Directa Plus was established in 2005 and is based in Lomazzo (Como, Italy) and has been listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange since May 2016. The Company holds the Green Economy Mark from London Stock Exchange which recognises companies that contribute to the global green economy.
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