First Graphene finds a prepreg partner for PureGRAPH growth

First Graphene Limited (ASX:FGR) has added a manufacturing partner to one of its more commercially ambitious graphene programs, signing a three-year Development and Commercialisation Agreement with Turkish prepreg maker Aeropreg. The aim is to move PureGRAPH-enhanced carbon fibre prepreg from development work towards a product that could eventually be sold into aerospace, defence, automotive, marine and sporting goods markets.

Graphene Loading and Prepreg Trials

Under the agreement, First Graphene’s proprietary epoxy concentrates will be used alongside PureGRAPH to optimise graphene’s incorporation into Aeropreg’s existing carbon fibre prepreg process. The development program will focus first on controlled and repeatable graphene loading, followed by validation of strength, durability, performance and manufacturability.

That sequence matters. The announcement describes a development pathway, not a confirmed supply contract: any commercial launch is subject to trial results, and the filing discloses no contract value, minimum purchase commitment, revenue guidance or launch date. The potential prize is sizeable, with the company citing a Grand View Research estimate that the global carbon fibre reinforced plastics market could reach US$43.7 billion by 2033.

Aeropreg Adds Manufacturing and Sales Capability

Aeropreg manufactures carbon, glass, aramid and basalt fibre prepregs and has in-house resin development plus chemical, physical, thermal and mechanical testing capabilities. It is a subsidiary of Spinteks, which Aeropreg says operates prepreg production under AS9100 aerospace quality management certification; Spinteks was also added to the Turkish Aerospace approved supplier list in June 2026.

For First Graphene, the practical attraction is not simply another research collaboration. Aeropreg brings an established manufacturing process and sales channels spanning aerospace, automotive, marine and sporting goods, giving the project a potential route beyond laboratory validation. The agreement also fits the company’s increased focus on the US market and follows its acquisition of MITO Materials, which First Graphene says expanded its composites technology and North American customer relationships.

Commercial Proof Still Lies Ahead

First Graphene chief executive Michael Bell said the immediate priority was validating the material within Aeropreg’s manufacturing process, with a longer-term objective of creating another commercial route for PureGRAPH. The next meaningful evidence will therefore be technical: repeatable loading, verified performance and a product that can be manufactured consistently at commercial standards.

The agreement gives First Graphene a defined partner and timetable, but not yet a disclosed order book. Whether the collaboration becomes a recurring revenue stream will depend on what emerges from the trials and whether Aeropreg’s customers move from testing to adoption.