Directa Plus teams up with Italian uniform manufacturer Alfredo Grassi

Graphene-based product producer and supplier Directa Plus announced that it had entered into joint development agreement (JDA) with Alfredo Grassi, which it described as a manufacturer of customised protective clothing, workwear and uniforms for private and public organisations globally.

The AIM-traded firm said the signing of the JDA followed “detailed testing” of Directa Plus' graphene by Alfredo Grassi to assess the potential benefits that could be delivered by incorporating it into their products.

Under the terms of the JDA, the companies will seek to market a range of technical textiles and garments containing the company's graphene-based products to the customers of Alfredo Grassi.

“We are proud to be collaborating with Alfredo Grassi who have a successful track record of producing clothing that leverages their established heritage combined with the technological advances of their partners," said Directa Plus CEO Giulio Cesareo.

“This agreement represents a further expansion of our textile offering as our Graphene Plus (G+) will be utilised to enhance the performance of workwear and protective wear for law enforcement and military forces, which we believe represents a significant market opportunity.

“We look forward to working together to develop and market new product lines, based on our shared commitment to quality, innovation and environmental-sustainability, and to bringing them to the market.”

The company said the initial focus under the JDA would be on garments with linings printed with Graphene Plus, combined with waterproof, breathable textiles.

It said the presence of G+ graphene, which it claimed had been independently certified as non-toxic and non-cytotoxic, produced a technically-advanced fabric with “unique properties”.

In particular, it was highly thermally conductive, allowing a homogeneous distribution of the heat produced by the human body in cold temperatures and a heat dispersion effect in hot temperatures.

Similarly, it was reportedly able to rapidly dissipate anti-static charges.

The product also had a bacteriostatic effect, whereby bacteria do not proliferate on the fabric.

As a result, the garments would be ideally suited for activities where the dissipation of anti-static charges and heat management were required or for clinical environments.

“As a company that is continually looking for innovative materials, while paying attention to environmental sustainability, we have found an ideal partner in Directa Plus," commented Alfredo Grassi CEO Roberto Grassi.

“Together, we will seek to improve the level of comfort and protection offered by our products through the use of innovative fabrics made using graphene, and I am sure that we will continue to work on more projects together both in the workwear and the public administration sectors.

“I am convinced that the collaboration is a strategic milestone for us in terms of product innovation and also because we share the same corporate values, ​​such as employee appreciation and recognition, attention to environmental issues and a common long-term vision on future markets.”