Sparc Technologies Limited has announce that AkzoNobel has committed to supporting growing interest from the market for graphene enhanced protective coatings, and has confirmed the upcoming commercial availability of graphene enhanced Interzone® 954.
This milestone represents the first widely used protective coatings product to incorporate the ecosparc® graphene-based additive. The ecosparc® enhanced Interzone® 954 will be produced in AkzoNobel’s Australian manufacturing facility with product availability in Australia commencing in May 2026 on a made-to-order basis. Interzone® 954 has an extensive global track record of excellent long-term performance and has been used widely on offshore oil & gas facilities, offshore wind towers, jetties and sluice gates, and petrochemical plants.
Sparc Managing Director, Mr Nick O’Loughlin said, “This milestone represents a significant breakthrough for Sparc Technologies and for the graphene industry more broadly. Following on from the first commercial sale of ecosparc® in December 2025, the commercial release of ecosparc® enhanced Interzone® 954 from AkzoNobel provides a significant platform for revenue growth. A product release from a global leader such as AkzoNobel is strong validation for Sparc Technologies which has spent over 6 years developing the market leading graphene additive for protective coatings. This important development provides further evidence of the growing adoption of graphene within industrial materials and Sparc’s leading position in this area.”
AkzoNobel Regional Sales Manager South Asia, Mr Jamie O’Brien said, “Interzone® 954 has a long and successful track record of greater than 25 years in Australia and around the world, providing outstanding long term corrosion protection for steel structures in diverse industries including mining and mineral extraction, oil and gas production and refining, and offshore wind energy. With excellent performance in immersed conditions including seawater and a variety of atmospheric conditions, Interzone® 954 is the industry’s first choice for reliable long term corrosion protection. The addition of ecosparc® enhanced Interzone® 954 offers even more choice for our customers when choosing the right corrosion protection for valuable steel assets.”
Sparc and AkzoNobel have been collaborating on laboratory testing and field trials for several years across multiple coatings formulations, including the Interzone® 954 product. AkzoNobel’s commitment to release ecosparc® enhanced Interzone® 954 in its Australian product range has been made on the basis of an agreed price per kg for the ecosparc® additive (commercial in confidence) and does not include a term or minimum volumes. Given the joint commitment does not include a term or minimum volume, investors are cautioned not to place reliance on the generation of revenue from the sale of ecosparc® enhanced Interzone® 954 in Australia. The contents of this announcement have been mutually agreed between the parties.
About AkzoNobel
AkzoNobel is a Dutch multinational company and is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of paints and coatings. Headquartered in the Netherlands, AkzoNobel operates in more than 150 countries, has ~31,500 employees and delivered revenue of €10.2bn in 2025. AkzoNobel sells coatings products under well-established brands such as Dulux, International, Sikkens and Interpon. The company supplies decorative paints for homes and buildings as well as high performance coatings used in industries including marine, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure, with a strong focus on sustainability and innovation in surface protection and colour technology. As at 28 April 2026, AkzoNobel has a market capitalisation of ~€8.6bn.
About ecosparc® – A performance additive for protective coatings
Sparc Technologies has conducted over 6 years of research and development on ecosparc®, its flagship graphene based additive range. The addition of ecosparc® within commercially available protective coatings has demonstrated substantial performance improvements, ensuring the reliability, longevity, safety and cost-effectiveness of the steel infrastructure they cover.
Multiple global coatings companies are undertaking product evaluation of ecosparc® in their anti-corrosive coatings. Further to this, Sparc is progressing a campaign targeting asset owners with multiple field trials underway in a variety of corrosive environments. Infrastructure owners being targeted include government, defence, mining, and oil and gas companies representative of key customers within the US$33 billion1 protective and marine coatings industry. The target addressable market for ecosparc® within the broader anticorrosive protective coatings market is estimated at ~US$1.0bn per annum. This is calculated based on Sparc’s estimate of the proportion of products in the global protective and marine coatings markets suited to the ecosparc® product (25%) along with Sparc’s proposed selling price relative to coating sales value in 2030. As with any target addressable market, there are barriers to accessing a target addressable market.2
About Sparc Technologies
Sparc Technologies Limited (‘Sparc’, ASX: SPN) is an Australian technology company developing solutions that enhance environmental and sustainability outcomes for global industries. Sparc has two transformative technology areas in which it works: green hydrogen and graphene enhanced materials. Sparc conducts research and development in-house and has extensive engagement and relationships with the university sector in Australia and globally.
1. Sparc Hydrogen is a joint venture between Sparc Technologies, Fortescue Ltd and the University of Adelaide which is pioneering next-generation green hydrogen production technology. Photocatalytic water splitting (PWS) is an emerging method to produce green hydrogen without electrolysers – using only sunlight, water and a photocatalyst. Given lower infrastructure requirements and energy use, PWS has the potential to deliver cost and flexibility advantages over existing hydrogen production methods.
2. Sparc has developed and is commercialising a graphene based additive product, ecosparc®, which at low dosages significantly improves the performance of commercially available epoxy-based protective coatings. Sparc has commissioned a manufacturing facility to produce ecosparc® and is engaging with global coatings companies and large asset owners on testing, trials and commercial partnerships.
For more information about the company please visit: sparctechnologies.com.au
For more information about Sparc Hydrogen please visit: sparchydrogen.com
