Simultaneous enhancement in mechanical and physical properties of graphene-oxide-reinforced Al matrix composites by trace-Mg-alloying strategy

Abstract

This paper proposes a trace-Mg-alloying strategy to fabricate high-performance graphene oxide (GO)-reinforced Al metal matrix composites (MMC). A minute quantity (0.4 wt%) of elemental Mg was introduced in Al–Si alloy powders. Individual GO nanosheets were uniformly decorated onto the surface of the AlSiMg particle through electrostatic attractions via hetero-agglomeration. A GO network was formed at the primary boundaries of AlSiMg particles through spark plasma sintering of GO/AlSiMg mixed powders. In this process, elemental Mg reacted with the oxygen atoms within GO nanosheets, resulting in the in situ production of high-quality reduced GO. Subsequent hot extrusion disrupted the GO network owing to the metal plastic flow, causing the GO nanosheets to realign in a single direction. Consequently, the tribological behavior, tensile response, and thermal and electrical conductivities of the GO/AlSiMg composites were simultaneously enhanced. Hot extrusion led to stretching of the overlapping GO nanosheets and increased surface contact area of AlSiMg powders. Thus, the extruded samples exhibited peak electrical conductivity at 0.2 wt% GO, whereas the sintered samples demonstrated peak thermal conductivity at 0.1 wt% GO. Overall, the findings of this study highlight the potential of merging trace powder alloying and powder metallurgy techniques to create multifunctional nanocarbon/MMCs without a trade-off between mechanical and physical performance.