Interfacial Adhesion Improvement of Polymer Composites Using Graphene Fillers

Abstract

Synthetic polymer-based composite materials are in constant use in the manufacturing of structural components, due to their excellent mechanical properties, inertness to chemicals, structural stability, versatility, ease of processing and reduced cost. The introduction of graphene-based polymer composites has substantially increased the development of composites for numerous structural applications that require superior stability and better mechanical and thermal performance. These graphene-based polymer composites have shown improved interfacial adhesion and outstanding fracture performance. This chapter discusses mechanical performance of graphene-based polymer composites, other physical properties including optical, electrical and thermal, as well as their industrial and domestic applications. Challenges in the processing, opportunities and new advanced developments in graphene-based polymer composites are introduced.