NanoXplore’s new graphene masterbatch enables higher recycled content in plastic film formulations

CANADA – NanoXplore and Techmer PM have launched GrapheneBlack xGnP Masterbatch for plastic films, delivering more than 70 percent improvement in mechanical strength while enabling thickness reduction of up to 20 percent without compromising tensile, tear or puncture performance.

The graphene-enhanced solution, announced on 15 June 2026, combines NanoXplore’s proprietary high-surface-area xGnP graphene technology with Techmer PM’s advanced Techsperse dispersion technology to ensure optimal graphene distribution for consistent and repeatable results. 

The masterbatch also has the potential to significantly increase recycled content in film formulations without sacrificing performance, addressing tightening sustainability mandates and circular economy targets. 

NanoXplore filed a provisional patent in May 2026, and the companies will unveil the product line at the AMI Flexible Packaging Innovation and Recycling Conference in Milwaukee on 24-25 June 2026. 

How Graphene Dispersion Enables 20 Percent Thickness Reduction Without Performance Loss

The masterbatch’s performance breakthrough stems from two complementary technologies. NanoXplore supplies xGnP graphene nanoplatelets with high surface area that impart exceptional mechanical reinforcement at low loading concentrations. 

Techmer PM’s Techsperse dispersion technology ensures uniform graphene distribution throughout the polymer matrix, eliminating agglomeration that would otherwise create weak points and inconsistent properties. 

Techmer PM operates in-house film production capabilities including a five-layer blown film line that supports small-scale sampling and real-world process validation, allowing customers to rapidly iterate formulations and evaluate performance in multilayer structures.

Rocco Marinaccio, President and CEO of NanoXplore, stated that the combination of NanoXplore’s graphene technology and Techmer’s application development capabilities produced a genuine breakthrough that neither company could have achieved alone.

What 70 Percent Strength Improvement Means for Film Recyclability and Cost

The masterbatch enables film thickness reduction of up to 20 percent while retaining tensile, tear and puncture properties, directly reducing material consumption and packaging weight.

The ability to incorporate higher recycled content without performance loss addresses a critical industry challenge, as packaging producers face tightening sustainability regulations including extended producer responsibility schemes in the US and the EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation. 

Craig Foster, CEO of Techmer PM, said that the partnership helped bring a high-value graphene-based solution to market that directly addresses customers’ most pressing performance and sustainability challenges while also driving meaningful cost savings.

NanoXplore, headquartered in Montreal with 4,000 metric tonnes of annual graphene production capacity, has global regulatory approval for unlimited sales volumes of graphene in North America and serves as the lead REACH registrant for graphene in the EU and UK.

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