Effect of Fabrication Parameters on the Performance of 0.5 wt.% Graphene Nanoplates-Reinforced Aluminum Composites
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Experiments
2.1. Materials
2.2. Fabrication of the 0.5 wt.% GNP/Al Composite Powder
2.3. Orthogonal Test Design of the Fabrication Parameters
2.4. Powder Metallurgy (PM)
2.5. Mechanical Property Tests and Microstructural Experiments
3. Results and Discussion
3.1. Effect of Ultrasonication Time (X4) on the Dispersion of Graphene
3.2. Effects of Ball Milling Time (X1) and Ball Milling Speed (X2)
3.2.1. Microstructural Morphology of the Composite Powder
3.2.2. Impact on the Structural Integrity of GNPs
3.2.3. Cold-Pressed Composite
3.2.4. Vacuum Hot-Pressed Composite
3.2.5. Mechanical Properties and Fracture Mechanism
3.3. Fracture Mode Analysis
4. Conclusions
- (1)
- The density of 0.5 wt.% GNP/Al prepared by cold pressing + vacuum hot pressing is high, and the interface bonding is perfect. No obvious oxidation phenomenon and Al4C3 were found in the composite. Graphene distributed on the grain boundaries can effectively hinder the growth of the grain during the vacuum hot-pressing sintering and play a role in grain refinements.
- (2)
- Ball milling time, ball milling speed, and ultrasonic time have great influences on the performance of 0.5 wt.% GNP/Al composites.
- (3)
- Adding 0.5% percentage of graphene in weight can obviously increase the strength of the Al matrix. When the ball milling speed was 300 r/min, the ball milling time was 6 h, the B-P ratio was 5:1, the graphene ultrasonic time was 90 min, and the stearic acid content was 1.5%, the graphene nanoplates were uniformly distributed in the Al matrix without being destroyed. The composite had the best comprehensive mechanical properties, with a tensile strength of 156.8 MPa, which is 56.6% higher than that of pure aluminum fabricated by the same process (100.1MPa), while the elongation is 19.9%, which is 39.8% lower than that of pure aluminum (33.1%).
Author Contributions
Funding
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Numbering | Time (h) | Speed (r/min) | B-P Ratio | Ultrasonicatinnon Time (min) | Stearic Acid Content (%) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 200 | 5:1 | 60 | 1.5 |
2 | 2 | 300 | 10:1 | 90 | 3 |
3 | 4 | 200 | 5:1 | 90 | 3 |
4 | 4 | 300 | 10:1 | 60 | 1.5 |
5 | 6 | 200 | 10:1 | 60 | 3 |
6 | 6 | 300 | 10:1 | 90 | 1.5 |
7 | 8 | 200 | 5:1 | 90 | 1.5 |
8 | 8 | 300 | 5:1 | 60 | 3 |
Level | Factors | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
X1 (h) | X2 (r/min) | X3 | X4 (min) | X5 (%) | |
1 | 2 | 200 | 5:1 | 60 | 1.5 |
2 | 4 | 300 | 10:1 | 90 | 3 |
3 | 6 | - | - | - | - |
4 | 8 | - | - | - | - |
Factors | Sum of SDV | Mean Value of SDV | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | |
X1 | 0.78 | 4.0 | 0.11 | 3.55 | 0.39 | 2.0 | 0.055 | 1.775 |
X2 | 14.07 | 8.26 | - | - | 3.52 | 2.065 | - | - |
X3 | 11.61 | 10.70 | - | - | 2.90 | 2.675 | - | - |
X4 | 8.75 | 13.6 | - | - | 2.19 | 3.40 | - | - |
X5 | 10.33 | 11.02 | - | - | 2.58 | 2.76 | - | - |
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Lou, S.M.; Qu, C.D.; Guo, G.X.; Ran, L.W.; Liu, Y.Q.; Zhang, P.P.; Su, C.J.; Wang, Q.B. Effect of Fabrication Parameters on the Performance of 0.5 wt.% Graphene Nanoplates-Reinforced Aluminum Composites. Materials 2020, 13, 3483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163483
Lou SM, Qu CD, Guo GX, Ran LW, Liu YQ, Zhang PP, Su CJ, Wang QB. Effect of Fabrication Parameters on the Performance of 0.5 wt.% Graphene Nanoplates-Reinforced Aluminum Composites. Materials. 2020; 13(16):3483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163483
Chicago/Turabian StyleLou, Shu Mei, Chuan Dong Qu, Guang Xin Guo, Ling Wei Ran, Yong Qiang Liu, Ping Ping Zhang, Chun Jian Su, and Qing Biao Wang. 2020. "Effect of Fabrication Parameters on the Performance of 0.5 wt.% Graphene Nanoplates-Reinforced Aluminum Composites" Materials 13, no. 16: 3483. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13163483