Exhibitor Spotlight: HydroGraph on graphene innovation and next-generation conductive plastics

As AMI Plastics World Expos 2026 approaches, we’re speaking with exhibitors about the innovations, challenges and opportunities shaping the plastics industry.

In this exhibitor spotlight, Tom Eldridge from HydroGraph discusses ultra-high-purity graphene, the launch of its new graphene-carbon black hybrid solution, and how advanced conductive systems could help plastics manufacturers improve performance while reducing total filler content.

Company: HydroGraph Booth: C215

What makes your company stand out? What sets you apart from the competition, and why should visitors make sure to visit your stand?

HydroGraph manufactures ultra-high-purity graphene with exceptional batch-to-batch consistency and the industry’s lowest environmental footprint. Our proprietary process gives plastics manufacturers a new material that delivers exceptional performance at low concentrations for dependable formulation and economical scale-up

At Plastics World Expo, we will showcase our flagship product Fractal Graphene™, designed to improve electrical conductivity and mechanical properties in thermoplastics. Through our Compounding Partner Program, customers can access high-quality graphene compounds and masterbatches from a global network of certified compounders. Visit our stand to discuss trials and scale-up.

What’s the next big thing you’re working on? Can you give us a sneak peek into any new technologies, innovations, or breakthroughs you're bringing to the market?

HydroGraph has developed a competitive solution for electrically conductive compounds with a Fractal Graphene™–carbon black hybrid system.

This hybrid approach uses a low addition of Fractal Graphene™ alongside a customer’s existing conductive carbon black additive. Compounders and end-users can now reach demanding conductivity targets while reducing total carbon loading, resulting in easier processing, enhanced mechanical properties and lower formulation cost.

The combination of Fractal Graphene™ and conductive carbon black delivers breakthrough results, with better price-performance compared to using either material alone. The hybrid system works with any conductive carbon black grade, offering versatility to formulate conductive compounds to suit different needs.

Applications include ESD and antistatic packaging, EMI shielding for automotive and industrial electronics, conductive housings and moldings, cable jackets and conductive pipe. HydroGraph has collaborated with partners and customers to validate the new hybrid formulations and will be announcing the innovation, presenting results and case studies at the AMI show.

What’s the biggest challenge in the industry right now – and how are you tackling it? Whether it's sustainability, supply chain issues, or something else, we’d love to hear your take!

One of the biggest challenges in conductive plastics is achieving reliable conductivity without overloading the polymer. Customer discussions repeatedly highlight that high filler levels can be difficult to disperse and process, increase viscosity, weaken mechanical properties and raise formulation cost, with end users needing a ready-made compound or masterbatch. This mirrors a broader shift across the compounding industry: competitive advantage is moving away from raw material properties alone and toward formulation science, application engineering, and fast, reliable qualification.

HydroGraph is addressing these challenges through a combination of consistent quality, ultra-high-purity graphene, application know-how and qualified compounding partners. Our hybrid solution is designed to make the conductive network more efficient, enabling higher conductivity with lower total filler content. HydroGraph’s Compounding Partner Program makes these formulations repeatable and accessible at scale, using familiar processing equipment and standard supply formats. Lower filler loading also means better material efficiency and a smaller environmental footprint per part.

Fast forward 10 years - how do you see the industry evolving? What major trends do you think will reshape the sector, and how should businesses prepare?

Over the next decade, we expect the plastics industry to move from selecting individual additives to engineering complete material systems. Electronics, electric vehicles, automation, medical devices and data infrastructure will require higher conductivity and better EMI performance, while manufacturers face increasing pressure to reduce material use, weight, cost and environmental impact.

Hybrid conductive systems will be an important part of that shift because they can deliver more performance from less material. We also expect the supply model to become more collaborative. Material producers, compounders, converters and end users will work together earlier to define application targets and validate formulations at production scale.

HydroGraph’s vision is to support that transition through consistent graphene and a global network of certified compounding partners, giving customers local access to qualified graphene masterbatches and compounds. Businesses should begin developing these partnerships now and validate promising formulations before new performance requirements become standard.

What excites you most about this year’s expo? Are you launching something new, speaking at a session, or just looking forward to networking with industry leaders?

We are excited to launch our graphene–carbon black hybrid solution and present the work behind it at Plastics World Expo. Our session will focus on the customer outcomes that matter most: higher conductivity, lower carbon filler loading, easier processability and the potential for lower formulation cost.

We will share application and case-study data and showcase conductive compound samples for uses including antistatic film and ESD packaging, EMI-shielded components, conductive moldings, cable and pipe. We are especially looking forward to meeting customers, compounders, application engineers and technical buyers to understand their target conductivity, processing constraints and scale-up requirements.

The expo is also an opportunity to promote our existing compounding partners and to further grow our Compounding Partner Program. We want to connect with compounders that can help customers access consistent, high-quality graphene compounds and masterbatches in key regions around the world. Our goal is to leave Cleveland with new pilot programs, development partners and a clearer roadmap for the next applications to commercialize.

Meet HydroGraph at AMI Plastics World Expos 2026

Meet HydroGraph at Booth C215 at AMI Plastics World Expos and discover its Fractal Graphene™ technology and new graphene-carbon black hybrid solution.

Visit Tom Eldridge and the HydroGraph team to learn more about conductive graphene compounds and masterbatches, and explore applications including ESD packaging, EMI shielding, conductive mouldings, cable and pipe. Registration is free.

Register free to attend