Tag: asphalt

A brand-new company based in Allentown is taking old technology to a new level that will remove garbage from landfills and create new technology. 

Graphene Fusion Group, LLC today announced that they will be producing pure graphene, converting trash into a viable product that will improve global technology and help reduce CO2 emissions in the process. Pure graphene is harder than diamond yet more elastic than rubber; tougher than steel yet lighter than aluminum, said Jonathan Rotger, founder of Graphene Fushion.     

Graphene is the strongest known super material, he said. It offers a new way for technological advancements, improving industrial processes, reducing pollution, and advancing the medical industry. 

The company, with offices planned for Allentown and warehouses in Lehighton and Jim Thorpe, plans to work with concrete and asphalt companies to strengthen their products with graphene which will allow the companies to use less product because it will be stronger and more flexible.  

“Graphene will revolutionize global technology,” Rotger said. “The environmental benefits alone will help us in our battle against climate change.” 

“We are using an old technology in a new way,” he said. While graphene is known to work to make technology better, Rotger said his company will use it at first to strengthen concrete and asphalt in Pennsylvania. 

“I’m from Pennsylvania so this is a good place to start,” he said. However, he is talking to companies in Florida and several other countries. “We’re starting in Pennsylvania to show what we can do.” 

To make the graphene, Rotger said he can use any carbon-based garbage, including tires and plastic. “We can remove garbage with zero emissions,” he said. The graphene will then be added to concrete, making the concrete 35% stronger. 

Basically, an infusion machine heats the garbage up so hot it restructures the atoms in a few seconds and makes graphene. Companies, he said, will be able to use less concrete because it’s stronger. Asphalt, he said, will be stronger but also more flexible which will help roadways that deteriorate due to changes in weather and hard use. 

“You know those cracks you see in the roads and the potholes? They will be a thing of the past because the asphalt will be flexible enough to withstand the changes,” he said. 

“We are in meetings with asphalt and construction companies now,” he said. “No one will be using this until we develop the product. We should be ready by September.” 

Rotger said the company will start small removing a ton of garbage a day to create a ton of graphene. The plan is to continue expanding that amount so “we can show everyone that we can remove garbage so there is no carbon in the environment.” 

The company has investors, so they are ordering parts to build the infusion machines they need. “We know this works. We figured out how to scale it so we’re really excited,” he said. “We are focusing on concrete and asphalt because they are faster to implement. We’re working on composites and polymers so we can reach out to more companies.” 

The graphene will work in a variety of construction applications including molding, plastics, and more. “We are looking at the infrastructure too because this will make it long-lasting, efficient and environmentally friendly,” he said.  

Rotger said the company hopes to make $15 million in its first year and reduce 1,487,200 pounds of CO2 emissions.