A Novel Technique to Homogeneously Disperse Graphene Nanoplateletes (GNPs) in Aluminium Matrix

摘要

In recent years, graphene nanoplatelets have attracted considerable research interest in all fields ofscience due to their unique properties. Their excellent mechanical properties lead it to be used innano-composites for strength enhancement. Though CNT/Al composites are widely investigated,uniform dispersion of CNTs is still a big challenge for the researchers ,which prohibits its use inpractical applications. Graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs) can be dispersed in all kinds of solvents andmatrices easily as compared to CNTs. Our novel nano-processing route is free of ball milling. As ballmilling is considered a big problem because it produces heat, which can burn powder easily anddamage the structure of GNPs or CNTs as well. Therefore, our method can be an alternative of ballmilling and it has a great potential for the synthesis of Al based matrix nano-composite which isconsidered good for engineering applications. In this paper, Al-0.5wt.% GNPs composite powderswere successfully produced free from dispersion problems associated with GNPs. The SEM analysisof the as-produced composite powders indicate that the GNPs in aluminium powders is quite welldispersed. The effect of GNPs on the hardness of the composite was evaluated by Vickers hardness.