Toughening In Graphene Ceramic Composites

Ceramics are ideally suited for high temperature applications but suffer from poor toughness.

Toughening in graphene ceramic composites.

Ceramics are ideally suited for high temperature applications but suffer from poor toughness. Toughening in graphene ceramic composites. Two types of si 3 n 4 composites containing graphene nanostructures using two different. Most interestingly novel toughening mechanisms were observed that show gpl wrapping and anchoring themselves around individual ceramic grains to resist sheet pullout.

Our approach uses graphene platelets gpl that are homogeneously dispersed with silicon nitride particles and densified at 1650 c using spark plasma sintering. The majority of work in graphene nanocomposites has focused on polymer matrices. The resulting cage like graphene structures that encapsulate the individual grains were observed to deflect propagating cracks in not just two but three dimensions. The majority of work in graphene nanocomposites has focused on polymer matrices.

Here we report for the first time the use of graphene to enhance the toughness of bulk silicon nitride ceramics. Most interestingly novel toughening mechanisms were observed that show gpl wrapping and anchoring themselves around individual ceramic grains to resist sheet pullout. Toughening due to crack deflection in ceramic and metal graphene nanocomposites 55 of the fracture mode from grain boundary fracture to mixed grain boundary and transgranular fracture also leads to the toughening of the composites con taining graphene inclusions.