AGM has supplied its graphene material for use in the production of a range of high performance fishing rods, made by Century Composites. Century has introduced a new range of fishing rods to the market, containing the AGM’s graphene nanoplatelets. These fishing rods are being sold under the brand Graphex.
Century has manufactured composite fishing rods in the UK for nearly 40 years, utilising a range of reinforcing materials including glass, aramid, polyethylene and carbon fibres. Intrinsic to the optimum performance of composite materials used to produce rods at the higher end of the price spectrum is the supporting polymer matrix that carries load between the fibres. This critical reinforcing component has seen considerable advances over the past decade.
Following a period of collaboration, work with Century has culminated in the incorporation of graphene nanoplatelets into a high specification range of fishing rods. Century has recognised the considerable benefits that a customised graphene material, developed by AGM, has generated. This work has been validated in the latest designs of coarse, game and sea fishing rods. The mechanical property enhancement displayed in Century’s Graphex rod ranges, which incorporate graphene-polymer nanocomposites, is attributed to the high specific surface area, excellent mechanical properties of graphene and its capacity to initially prevent and then deflect crack growth in a far more effective way than other fillers.
Simon Chilcott, managing director of Century, commented: “We are delighted to have launched our Graphex range of rods which are now available. The development collaboration with AGM has been impressive and we are delighted by the added performance that their graphene nanoplatelets bring."
Jon Mabbitt, CEO of AGM, said: “We are pleased to be able to announce our first production order with Century Composites. This follows a period of successful collaboration with Century to ensure the effective transfer of the properties of our graphene nanoplatelets into Century’s existing production processes.”