Mechanical-Thermal-Electrical and Morphological Properties of Graphene Reinforced Polymer Composites: A Review

Grephene is a substance composed of pure carbon with atoms arranged in a regular hexagonal pattern similar to graphite, but in a one-atom thick sheet. It is very light, with a 1-square-meter sheet weighing only 0.77 mg. It is the basic structural element of some carbon allotropes including graphite, charcoal, carbon nanotubes and fullerenes. It has considerable interest over recent years due to its intrinsic mechanical, thermal and electrical properties. Incorporation of small quantity of graphene fillers into polymer can create novel nano-composites with improved structural and functional properties. Recent investigation clearly confirmed that graphene-polymer nano-composites are promising materials with applications ranging from transportation, biomedical systems, sensors, electrodes for solar cells and electromagnetic interference. This review discusses the different methods of manufacturing graphene based composites and also compiles their electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. Many references to the latest work on properties and processing have been cited in this review.