In-situ preparation of fully stabilized graphene/cubic-leucite composite through graphene oxide/geopolymer

Reduced graphene oxide/cubic-leucite (rGO/cubic-leucite) composites were prepared from reduced graphene oxide/geopolymer (rGO/CsKGP) composites by simultaneous in situ crystallization process and thermal reduction of GO. The effects of both rGO addition and treatment temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the rGO/CsKGP composites were investigated systematically. The results showed that rGO sheets in the rGO/CsKGP composites could be further in-situ reduced through high temperature treatment. The rGO/CsKGP composites fully transform to rGO/cubic-leucite composites after treating above 1000 degrees C for 30 min. Compared with the pure cubic-leucite matrix, the flexural strength and fracture toughness of rGO/cubic-leucite composites were 65.0 MPa and 0.64 MPa m(1/2), increased by similar to 37% and similar to 14% respectively. These improvements are attributed to a combination of rGO reinforcement and grain refinement. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.