Mr. John Snisarenko reports

ZENTEK ANNOUNCES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW GRAPHITE GEL-BASED FIRE-RETARDANT PRODUCT AND AN EXCLUSIVE LICENCE WITH ALTEK ADVANCED MATERIALS INC. FOR THE US MARKET

Zentek Ltd. has developed a novel graphite gel-based fire retardant product that combines both rapid gelation and intumescent components to rapidly protect homes from wildfires. Altek Advanced Materials Inc., a United States-based technology company, has been granted conditional, exclusive rights to commercialize the technology in the U.S., pursuant to a development and collaboration agreement between Zentek and Altek dated Nov. 4, 2025.

• Altek will seek to commercialize the GBFR in the U.S. under the trademarked name GraphGel.
• The new material combines gel properties that provides a strong thermal barrier against fires and expandable graphite as the active intumescent material to continue protection to surfaces even after the coating dries.
• The coating consists of biofriendly materials that can be easily washed off after fire risk has passed.
• Zentek contracted Intertek to complete independent ASTM E84 testing to assess the fire protection of one-fourth oriented strand board sheets coated with GraphGel. The gel was applied at two different loadings: a low loading of 0.3 to 0.4 centimetre and a high loading of 0.6 to 0.7 centimetre. The coated samples were dried and achieved Class A fire rating, the highest, with the Flame Spread Index of 25 for the low thickness, and the high measured with an FSI of five.
• The coating was designed by Zentek to be rapidly sprayed on structures so that average-sized houses can be coated in under 30 minutes.
• Altek sponsored a live demonstration of the coating in Santa Clarita, Calif., attended by representatives from California National Guard and local fire departments. The coating protected coated surfaces including shingles, glass, vegetation and siding when exposed to two minutes of fire engagement with temperatures reaching 1,500 C. The limit of two minutes of fire exposure was required by the fire marshall who was present. Surfaces not coated experienced significant fire damage and were engulfed in flames after two minutes.
• Altek has signed an agreement with Zentek for a conditional exclusive licence to commercialize the product in the U.S., which requires a minimum royalty payment to remain exclusive.
• Altek has also agreed to pay Zentek for personnel and development costs related to advancing the technology.
• Additionally, Altek has committed to assuming responsibility for all supplementary testing and chemical expenses directly associated with the product development process.

Gel-based fire retardant

Over the past decade, wildfires have increased in impact and cost in the U.S. and Canada with estimates of over $200-billion in damages and leading to 550 deaths. In the U.S., 80 million structures face significant wildfire risk while 120,000 homes in Canada face similar threats. In Canada, fires have affected Jasper (2024), Kelowna (2023) and Fort McMurray (2016) while, in the U.S., notable fires include the recent Palisades (2025), Maui (2024) and Camp (2018).

The increase in wildfires is the result of many factors, and there exists a great need for improved technology to help protect homes and commercial buildings.

Zentek researchers were challenged to translate their experience in fire retardant research to develop a new formulation that addresses some of the limitations of the current fire management solutions.

The desired product profile included: a gel base for optimal protection when hydrated; a dry intumescent coating with low-temperature activation; rapid deployment for coverage within 30 minutes; a thermal barrier that forms a stable char to prevent ignition; ecofriendly ingredients for minimal environmental impact; and easy removal with water, leaving no residue or stains.

The Zentek research team developed a biopolymer with pH-responsive viscosity and incorporated expandable graphite to serve as an intumescent barrier. The team has also filed a provisional patent for this technology, titled intumescent gels for rapid, short-term protection against fire and flame spread.

Zentek's research team has optimized the coating, ingredients, mixing process and delivery method, reaching a technology readiness level 5, which means the technology has been validated in a simulated relevant environment. The coating is applied using a high-pressure centrifugal pump, allowing coverage of an entire 2,500-square-foot home in approximately 30 minutes.

The coating has recently undergone an ASTM E84 test at Intertek in Burnaby, B.C., to validate its fire retardant performance. ASTM E84 is the industry standard test for surface burning characteristics of building materials that measures FSI and Smoke Developed Index.

During testing, two levels of coating thickness were applied to one-fourth-inch OSB: a high loading with an initial thickness of 0.6 to 0.7 cm, and a low loading at 0.3 to 0.4 cm. The full gel formulation was applied at Zentek's Guelph, Ont., laboratory, after which the samples were allowed to dry under ambient conditions before being shipped to Intertek's Burnaby, B.C., facility for performance assessment. The drying process took nearly one week, highlighting the gel's notable durability. Typically, gel coatings are not suited for ASTM E84 testing as they can liquefy and drip under heat, risking contamination of the testing equipment. As a result, only the dried coatings were evaluated, with all assessments performed more than 30 days following application. Both thicknesses achieved Class A fire ratings: the low loading produced an FSI of 25, and the high loading achieved an FSI of five. These results confirm that GraphGel forms a fire-resistant surface, even on construction materials with inherently high FSI ratings such as OSB.

Live demonstration

A live demonstration of the GBFR coating took place in Santa Clarita, Calif., on Oct. 24, 2025, attended by a local news station, former California National Guard leadership and local fire department officials. The demonstration featured the following: testing the fire performance of GBFR after 18 hours on a surface, demonstrating the spray of the full gel formulation utilizing modified fire equipment and also testing the fire performance of GBFR 30 minutes after coating.

Highlights of the testing include the following.

Two exterior walls of a painted plywood miniature test house were exposed to temperatures up to 1,500 C from direct flame contact. One uncoated wall served as the control, and the second wall was coated with GBFR 18 hours prior to the test. After one minute and 30 seconds of fire exposure, the interior surface temperature of the uncoated wall had risen from 18 C to 69 C, a difference of 51 C. The coated wall experienced a temperature increase of 5 C, demonstrating over a 10 times improvement in thermal barrier performance.

Two identical miniature plywood test houses with windows were tested, each with a tree two metres in front. The house and trees were exposed to intense fire from propane fire bars generating 1.5-metre flames at up to 1,500 C: two fire bars in front of each house, with one in each tree. One uncoated house and tree were the control while the other was coated with GBFR. The control (uncoated) house was fully engulfed in flames after two minutes producing substantial embers from the tree and the house. All the windows of the control house shattered due to the heat exposure. After just two minutes, the control house continued to burn vigorously and was extinguished with a fire hose. The GBFR-coated house and tree experienced the same flame exposure, temperature and engulfment as the control, and, after two minutes, the fire bars were turned off. The GBFR-coated house and windows were protected, and the tree lost some leaves due to the extreme heat; however, very few embers were produced. Remarkably, after the fire test, the coating was washed away easily with water revealing only minor damage where the coating was removed when the fire bars were placed by the technician.

Greg Fenton, the chief executive officer of Altek, reported: "As I have transitioned to lead Altek, I am thankful for the great relationship I continue to have with Zentek. I started Altek to commercialize Zentek technology in the U.S., and this new product GraphGel is a key component of our recently launched complete fire management solution called the Wildfire Guardian. The response we are receiving for this product is substantial. The effect of wildfires in California has many home and business owners fearful, and many are facing increased insurance rates and risks."

John Snisarenko, board chair of Zentek, stated: "I am proud of our research team who were able to identify a market and product need and develop a new technology to a high TRL level resulting in a commercial licence and complete a very successful real-world demonstration. Wildfires are a real tangible risk for many Canadians and Americans, and this product has been designed to help homeowners and businesses protect their important assets. It is our hope that the commercialization efforts of Altek are successful, and this product becomes an important tool for wildfire mitigation experts to save homes."

The GBFR agreement

Pursuant to the GBFR agreement, Zentek granted an exclusive licence to Altek to develop, manufacture and commercialize the GBFR in the U.S., in consideration for Altek financing the development of the GBFR and a 5-per-cent royalty on Altek's net sales derived from the GBFR, provided, however, that such licence will convert to a non-exclusive licence in the event that the annual royalty payments to Zentek are less than $1-million annually, following a ramp-up period of 18 months from the date hereof. Zentek shall retain ownership of the GBFR intellectual property, and Altek shall be responsible and liable for all regulatory matters in the U.S. The term of the GBFR agreement is five years, with a renewal option for an additional five years.

About Zentek Ltd.

Zentek is an ISO 13485:2016 certified intellectual property technology company focused on the research, development and commercialization of novel products seeking to give the company's commercial partners a competitive advantage by making their products better, safer and greener.

Zentek's patented technology platform ZenGUARD, is shown to significantly increase the bacterial and viral filtration efficiency for surgical masks and aims to do the same with HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) filters. Zentek's ZenGUARD production facility is in Guelph, Ont.

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