First Graphene says several new PureGRAPH® enhanced bucket liners have been supplied by its newGen customer to a major iron ore producer in the Pilbara of Western Australia.

newGen uses PureGRAPH high-performing graphene additives from First Graphene to manufacture its ArmourGRAPH rubber wear linings. These linings, the company says, offer outstanding strength and wear characteristics, increasing the life of wear linings and leading to significant productivity benefits for the mine.

This is the second trial of PureGRAPH high-performing graphene additives at iron ore mining operations in the state.

Back in December, newGen confirmed it had provided an ArmourGRAPH bucket liner to a major iron ore producer for a trial containing PureGRAPH20. According to the company, the bucket liner showed no signs of advanced wear or scalloping as would normally be experienced with the liners currently used in industry after 24 weeks of use.

It said the client would continue the trial, with a further inspection to be undertaken in another 12 weeks.

On top of the bucket liners, the second iron ore miner intends to also install PureGRAPH in other process equipment such as conveyor skirting products, First Graphene says.

The company said: “PureGRAPH enhanced wear liners continue to be adopted across the mining industry, due to their extended life, ease of use and enhanced fire retardancy properties. As the benefits continue to be validated, the industry is expected to adopt graphene-enhanced materials as a standard approach.”

Craig McGuckin, Managing Director for First Graphene, said: “Adoption of PureGRAPH enhanced products by another major iron ore producer is evidence of the quality of First Graphene’s products. Only First Graphene has the capacity to deliver tonnage volumes of high-performing graphene to users as they adopt graphene into their products.”