Sparc, HydroGraph strike coatings pact to push graphene additive into solvent-based corrosion testing

Sparc Technologies and HydroGraph have taken their graphene coatings collaboration a step deeper into commercialization, signing a letter of intent on March 24, 2026, to evaluate HydroGraph’s Fractal Graphene in Sparc’s ecosparc additives for protective coatings. The agreement follows earlier water-based testing that the companies said produced positive performance results and now sets up a formal round of solvent-based corrosion testing.

ISO 12944 testing now sits at the center of the deal

Under the letter of intent, Sparc will run ISO 12944 cyclic corrosion testing for 4,200 hours in commercially available solvent-based coatings. The standard is widely used to assess corrosion protection for steel structures, making it a relevant gatekeeper for industrial coating systems that have to survive harsh operating environments.

The companies said that if those tests are successful, they intend to negotiate a definitive commercial supply and collaboration agreement. The current framework also covers data use, intellectual property and confidentiality while the testing program moves ahead.

Water-based results gave the partnership enough momentum to advance

The March 24 announcement said Sparc had already completed successful laboratory work using HydroGraph’s graphene in commercial water-based coating systems. Those results were described as positive, but the companies have not yet published the full dataset in the announcement itself.

That matters because graphene-enhanced coatings often rise or fall on dispersion quality, formulation compatibility and repeatable performance at low loading rates. A move from promising lab outcomes to solvent-based testing suggests the partners believe the additive is stable enough to be evaluated in a more demanding commercial coating platform.

A potential route from testing to supply

HydroGraph said the global coatings market offers a strong use case for graphene because coating systems can gain durability and corrosion resistance without requiring a completely new product category. Sparc framed the work as part of its effort to commercialize ecosparc, a graphene-based additive range that it says is already being evaluated by coatings companies and asset owners.

The letter of intent gives the companies a roughly 12-month window to move from testing to a negotiated supply arrangement, with the solvent-based test results expected in December 2026. If the data holds, the partnership could become one more sign that graphene coatings are moving beyond proof-of-concept toward industrial procurement.