AMPP and Advanced Carbons Council form 3-year partnership on emerging materials

AMPP and the Advanced Carbons Council have signed a three-year agreement to coordinate on standards, research, education and technical knowledge around advanced carbon materials. The first joint effort is a Sept. 10 webcast on how graphene, graphene derivatives and carbon nanotubes are being used in coatings.

Why it matters: - Hydrogen, carbon dioxide, ammonia and other emerging technologies are creating new materials performance challenges across critical industries. - The AMPP-ACC partnership is meant to help industry understand how advanced carbon materials behave in demanding environments and turn that knowledge into practical guidance. - The collaboration could reduce duplication across standards, research and technical committees while linking materials developers, engineers, researchers and asset owners.

What happened: - AMPP and the Advanced Carbons Council signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding to work together on standards development, research, education and technical knowledge. - The agreement became effective July 6, 2026, and runs for three years. - The initial focus is carbon-enhanced coatings, with room to expand into other shared priorities as technologies and industry needs change. - The first joint event is an AMPP Forefront Series webcast on Sept. 10, 2026, titled "Advanced Carbon Materials in Coatings Applications." - The webcast will focus on engineered carbon materials, including graphene, graphene derivatives and carbon nanotubes, as additives in protective coatings.

The details: - Under the MOU, AMPP and ACC will explore joint webinars, meetings, workshops, publications and research initiatives. - The groups may also coordinate through technical committees and standards work. - The partnership aims to connect subject matter experts from industry and academia. - Research cooperation may include industry surveys, university-based or consortium-based research, dissemination of findings and other jointly identified projects. - AMPP standards information is available here. - AMPP says it serves more than 42,000 members in more than 150 countries and is headquartered in the United States, with offices in Houston and Pittsburgh plus regional offices in Brazil, Canada, China, Dubai, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom. - ACC says it reaches more than 40,000 materials professionals worldwide and was founded in 2013.

Between the lines: - The partnership pairs coatings and corrosion expertise with advanced carbon materials know-how, which is a sign the market is moving from basic material discovery toward deployment and qualification. - The first webcast suggests both groups want to set technical expectations early, before adoption outpaces guidance and testing standards. - The emphasis on practical applications points to a broader industry need for consistent evaluation methods as new materials move into infrastructure and energy uses.

What's next: - AMPP and ACC are expected to use the MOU to launch more shared programming, research and standards-related work. - The organizations may expand cooperation beyond coatings if future industry needs create overlapping priorities. - The September webcast will serve as the first public test of the partnership's scope and audience interest. - More information on the announcement and related activity is expected to follow through AMPP and ACC channels.

The bottom line: - AMPP and ACC are building a formal bridge between advanced carbon materials and asset-protection standards work as industry faces tougher materials-performance demands.