Influence of graphene content on the mechanical properties of severely deformed graphene/aluminum composite

Abstract

Graphene reinforcement in metals through cost-effective technique is one of the major concerns in the industry. In this literature, the influence of the graphene content (0.05, 0.1, 0.15 and 0.2 wt%) on the mechanical properties of graphene/aluminum composite was observed. The hot accumulative roll bonding (ARB), a severe plastic deformation process, was deployed to incorporate graphene in aluminum matrix. The graphene coated aluminum sheets were stacked together and subjected to repetitive rolling and cutting up to 10 passes. Graphene content was increased progressively with the number of ARB passes (1–4) and successively rolled up to 10 passes. The transmission electron microscopy analysis showed the suitably bonded graphene-aluminum interface. The distribution of graphene in the composite was observed using Raman spectroscopy, which displayed the uniform distribution of graphene up to 0.1 wt%. The Raman analysis also suggested the strained nature of graphene in the matrix on the basis of large shift in G band. Electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD) study revealed the progressive increment in fraction of high angle grain boundaries with ARB passes and graphene content. The optimized mechanical properties (hardness and tensile) were obtained for 0.1 wt% graphene reinforcement. Moreover, the reduction in ductility with the increasing graphene content was explained on the basis of fractography study.