Improved mechanical property of nanolaminated graphene (reduced graphene oxide)/Al–Mg–Si composite rendered by facilitated ageing process

• Published in: Materials science & engineering. A, Structural materials : properties, microstructure and processing Vol. 787; p. 139541
• Main Authors: Han, Yifan, Ke, Yubin, Shi, Yan, Liu, Yu, Yang, Ganting, Li, Zhiqiang, Xiong, Ding-Bang, Zou, Jin, Guo, Qiang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 10.06.2020; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Aluminum; Ductility tests; Elongation; Graphene; Magnesium; Mechanical behaviour; Mechanical tests; Metal matrix composites (MMCs); Microstructural analysis; Nanolaminated structure; Powder metallurgy; Precipitates; Precipitation; Silicon; Thermomechanical treatment; Precipitation; Nanolaminated structure; Graphene; Metal matrix composites (MMCs); Mechanical behaviour
• ISSN: 0921-5093; 1873-4936
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2020.139541

Bulk nanolaminated 0.4 wt% graphene (reduced graphene oxide, RGO)-reinforced Al–Mg–Si composite was fabricated using a modified powder metallurgy approach. The peakaged RGO-Al composite had significantly higher uniaxial yield (236.2 ± 10.8 MPa) and tensile strengths (320.3 ± 4.0 MPa), but shared similar uniform elongation (9.8 ± 0.5%) as compared to their unreinforced counterpart. These values are comparable or superior to the same series of alloys subject to complex thermo-mechanical treatments. Combining the mechanical test data with site-specific microstructural analysis, we rationalized the strength-ductility synergy in the composite by the refinement of the precipitates and the facilitated precipitation kinetics as a result of RGO incorporation, and the enhanced dislocation storage in the composite.