Graphene has attracted considerable interest over recent years due to its intrinsic mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. Incorporation of small quantity of graphene fillers into polymer can create novel nanocomposites with improved structural and functional properties. This review introduced the recent progress in fabrication, properties and potential applications of graphene-polymer composites. Recent research clearly confirmed that graphene-polymer nanocomposites are promising materials with applications ranging from transportation, biomedical systems, sensors, electrodes for solar cells and electromagnetic interference. In addition to graphene-polymer nanocomposites, this article also introduced the synergistic effects of hybrid graphene-carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the properties of composites. Finally, some technical problems associated with the development of these nanocomposites are discussed.
Articles you may be interested inEnhanced ferroelectric and pyroelectric properties of poly(vinylidene fluoride) with addition of graphene oxides Structural and optoelectronic properties of P3HT-graphene composites prepared by in situ oxidative polymerization J. Appl. Phys. 112, 054327 (2012); 10.1063/1.4751271 Effect of incorporation of carbon nanotubes on the mechanical properties of epoxy-amine composites AIP Conf. Proc. 1459, 226 (2012); 10.1063/1.4738451 Effect of clay induced morphological transitions on behaviour of epoxy/PCL nanocomposite AIP Conf. Proc. 1459, 80 (2012); 10.1063/1.4738404High thermal conductivity epoxy-silver composites based on self-constructed nanostructured metallic networksThe effect of graphene oxide (GO) on the mechanical properties and the curing reaction of Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A/F and Triethylenetetramine epoxy system was investigated. GO was prepared by oxidation of graphite flakes and characterized by spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Epoxy nanocomposites were fabricated with different GO loading by solution mixing technique. It was found that incorporation of small amount of GO into the epoxy matrix significantly enhanced the mechanical properties of the epoxy. In particular, model I fracture toughness was increased by nearly 50% with the addition of 0.1 wt. % GO to epoxy. The toughening mechanism was understood by fractography analysis of the tested samples. The more irregular, coarse, and multi-plane fracture surfaces of the epoxy/GO nanocomposites were observed. This implies that the two-dimensional GO sheets effectively disturbed and deflected the crack propagation. At 0.5 wt. % GO, elastic modulus was $35% greater than neat epoxy. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results showed that GO addition moderately affect the glass transition temperature (T g ) of epoxy. The maximum decrease of T g by $7 C was shown for the nanocomposite with 0.5 wt. % GO. DSC results further revealed that GO significantly hindered the cure reaction in the epoxy system. V C 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.
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