Gerdau Nail Packaging with Graphene.
Country: Brazil
Category: Packaging Materials and Components
Recognizing the imperative need to reduce the impact of plastic consumption, Gerdau, the largest Brazilian steel producer, has embarked on a journey to explore sustainable materials through nanotechnology such as graphene, a nanocarbon material renowned for its exceptional mechanical properties, which can deliver significant improvements in processes and performance for the final products in which it is applied. Gerdau used to face issues with nail punctures in the packaging during the filling process. In late 2022, Gerdau and Gerdau Graphene (part of Gerdau’s new business arm), teamed up to enhance puncture resistance using Poly-G, Gerdau Graphene first industrial-scale graphene masterbatch. By using 1% of Poly-G into the process, we improved its resistance, durability, and performance. Key benefits included a 25% thickness reduction, decreasing plastic usage, and a 39% decrease in damaged packaging volume. With graphene it is possible to combine profitability and sustainability , promoting efficiency while conserving finite resources.
By incorporating just 1% of the masterbatch with graphene into Gerdau nail packaging, Gerdau Graphene responded to customer demands and challenges, achieving impressive gains and benefits, especially significant improvements in mechanical properties. This includes a 25.3% reduction in virgin resin consumption through thinner packaging, which means it is expected to reduce Gerdau’s direct plastic consumption by more than 72 tons per year. Among other benefits, there is a noteworthy 39% decrease in the volume of damaged packaging (due to its tensile strength), offering lighter and longer-lasting products. The new packaging also achieved a 33% increase in packaging production per kilogram of polymer and a 7% improvement in the efficiency of the nail packaging filling cycle. This inspiring case of innovativeness underscores a commitment to the ESG agenda, resulting in significantly less waste across the value chain, as well as reduced energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.