Advanced Coatings**

石墨创新与技术公司(GIT)是一家加拿大材料工程初创公司，开发基于石墨烯的创新产品，包括GrapheneCoatTM，这是一种具有防生物污垢性能的涂层，特别适用于海洋应用。GIT正在寻求从三个方面推动其产品的使用：改进加工(提供更均匀、更可重现的产品)，特别是更好地分散和减少挥发性有机化合物(VOC)；增加对涂层基本物理性质的了解(特别是对使用温度区域进行限制)；探索新配方，将其用途扩展到新应用。**GIT建议与新斯科舍省哈利法克斯达尔豪西大学化学系的玛丽·安妮·怀特教授的研究小组通过NSERC Engage计划进行合作。怀特教授和她的团队将利用他们在材料化学方面的专业知识和他们的专业实验室设备来探索可以增强这些性能的新工艺方法，并对GIT配方进行准确的热特性和热稳定性测量。这些进步既可以改进目前的产品，也可以实现新的应用。**在这种合作下进行的研究将特别有益于海洋工业，以及寻求用于各种应用的可靠保护涂层的工业。预计这项研究将有助于GIT提供广泛的廉价、环保和易于涂装的涂料，这些涂料比现有产品更好、更持久。

Graphite Innovation and Technologies (GIT) is a Canadian materials engineering startup company that develops innovative graphene-based products including GrapheneCoatTM, a coating with anti-biofouling properties of particular use for marine applications. GIT is seeking to advance the use of their products in three ways: improved processing (giving a more homogeneous and reproducible product), especially better dispersion and reduction of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs); increased knowledge of the fundamental physical properties of their coatings (especially giving limits to the temperature region of use); explorations of new formulations to expand its uses to new applications.** GIT proposes collaboration with Professor Mary Anne White's research group at the Department of Chemistry at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, through the NSERC ENGAGE program. Professor White and her group will use their expertise in materials chemistry and their specialized laboratory equipment to explore new processing methods that could enhance these properties, and to carry out accurate thermal properties and thermal stability measurements of GIT formulations. These advances could both improve the present product and allow new applications. ** The research conducted under this collaboration would be specifically beneficial to the marine industry, and to industries seeking reliable protective coatings for various applications. It is anticipated that this research will help GIT to provide a wide range of inexpensive, environmentally friendly and easy-to-apply coatings that are better and more durable than existing products.********