MONTREAL, June 23, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NanoXplore Inc. (“NanoXplore” or the “Corporation”) (TSXV: GRA and OTCQX: NNXPF) announces that on June 23, 2021, it has entered into a multi-year supply and distribution agreement (the “Agreement”) with Gerdau Grafeno LTDA. (“Gerdau Graphene”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gerdau S.A. (“Gerdau”). Gerdau is Brazil's largest steel producer and one of the leading producers of long steel in America, as well as special steel in the world.

Gerdau Graphene was incorporated by Gerdau to develop and market products based on graphene applications on an industrial scale in the Americas region. An early advocate of this material, Gerdau started researching graphene four years ago, later establishing a partnership with the University of Manchester’s Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre, in order to conduct further research. Gerdau Graphene benefits from its parent company’s existing customer and supplier relationships, allowing it to leverage synergies between graphene operations and existing sales, procurement, and technical application channels.

Soroush Nazarpour, President and Chief Executive Officer of NanoXplore, commented:

“Today’s announcement represents another important step forward in expanding graphene applications on an industrial scale and targets customers in multiple markets, particularly for the concrete and construction markets. I believe that this Agreement will help cement our leadership position in the graphene market, and that it has the potential to create a demand for graphene that is greater than what NanoXplore is currently capable of producing.”

Alexandre Corrêa, Business Unit General Manager of Gerdau Graphene, commented:

”Gerdau Graphene’s strategic relationship with NanoXplore will provide our customer base with quality and accessible graphene, at industrial scale, from day one. We will be able to access a material which has already been successfully tested and applied in several markets, specially composites and thermoplastics, which we’ll be able to leverage to high commercial volumes.

About NanoXplore Inc.

NanoXplore is a graphene company, a manufacturer and supplier of high-volume graphene powder for use in industrial markets. NanoXplore provides standard and custom graphene-enhanced plastic and composite products to various customers in transportation, packaging, electronics, and other industrial sectors. NanoXplore is headquartered in Montreal, Quebec with manufacturing facilities in Canada, the United States and Europe.

About Gerdau, a 120-year-old company

Gerdau is Brazil's largest steel producer, one of the leading producers of long steel in the Americas and of special steel in the world. In Brazil, it also produces flat steel and iron ore for its own consumption. In January this year, it completed 120 years of a history marked by strength, and contribution to the development and legacy for a society in constant evolution. Guided by its proposition to empower people who build the future, the company is present in 10 countries and has over 30,000 direct and indirect employees in its operations. Gerdau is the largest recycling company in Latin America and uses scrap as an important input: 73% of the steel it produces comes from scrap. Every year, Gerdau transforms 11 million tonnes of scrap into a variety of steel products. Gerdau's shares are listed on the São Paulo (B3), New York (NYSE) and Madrid (Latibex) stock exchanges.

About Gerdau Graphene

Gerdau Graphene is a company launched by Gerdau through Gerdau Next, its new business arm. In 2021, Gerdau Graphene started to focus on the production, development and sale of products based on graphene applications, in Brazil and the Americas, in order to generate more value for its products and customers based on the mechanical properties offered by the nanomaterial. To learn more, visit www.gerdau.com.br/graphene.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on our beliefs as well as assumptions based on information available at the time the assumption was made and on management’s experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors, deemed appropriate in the circumstances. No assurance can be given that these assumptions and expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are not facts, but only predictions and can generally be identified by the use of statements that include phrases such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “continue”, “could”, “estimate”, “foresee”, “grow”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “forecast”, “future”, “guidance”, “may”, “predict”, “project”, “should”, “strategy”, “target”, “will” or similar expressions suggesting future outcomes.

Forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and involves a number of risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking information necessarily involves known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the NanoXplore’s actual results to differ materially from any projections of future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. Any forward-looking information is made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, NanoXplore does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise such information to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

For more information, please contact:

Soroush Nazarpour
President and Chief Executive Officer
NanoXplore Inc.
(514) 935-1377
[email protected]