Bulk nickel-graphene (Ni-Gr) composites are in the high demand for most of the engineering applications. Despite many efforts made, the main problem remains the homogeneous dispersion of graphene into the Ni matrix without destroying the structural integrity of Gr. The present paper addresses the fabrication, structural features and mechanical characteristics of bulk Ni-Gr composites, manufactured from nanosized nickel powder and exfoliated graphite platelets (GP) via modified powder metallurgy procedure including micromechanical GP splitting. The combination of XRD, SEM, Raman spectroscopy and EBSD analysis revealed homogeneous distribution of Gr in Ni matrix and the significant grain refinement observed for Ni-0.1 wt% Gr composite. Bimodal grain size distributions were obtained for all samples studied, and the mean grain size depends on Gr content. Raman spectroscopy proved the complete GP-to-graphene conversion for composite with 0.1 wt% Gr. Bulk nickel specimen and composites exhibit ∼3 times higher hardness and moderate tensile strength values compared to Ni, manufactured from micron-sized powders.

Original languageEnglish
Article number155463
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Alloys and Compounds
Volume835
DOIs
StatePublished - 15 Sep 2020

    Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Metals and Alloys
  • Materials Chemistry

    Research areas

  • Graphene, Hardness, Interface, Nickel-matrix composites, NANOCOMPOSITES, RAMAN-SPECTROSCOPY, STRENGTH, ALUMINUM-GRAPHENE, DUCTILITY, MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES, MATRIX COMPOSITES

ID: 60774131