Effects of graphene nanoplatelets addition on physiomechanical performance of carbon fiber laminated polymer composite for structural components

This study investigates the influence of Graphene Nano Platelets (GnP) reinforcement in the CFRP laminated composite. For the development of GnP/Carbon Fiber (CF) polymer composite samples, a highly adaptable and cost-effective hand layup method (HLM) was utilized. Furthermore, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) have been conducted to verify the consistent and reliable distribution of GnP throughout the epoxy matrix. An enhancement of 28.74% in flexural strength, 19.74% in tensile strength, and 22.63% in Rockwell hardness values was found with the loading of 1.0 wt.% of GnP in CFRP laminates, while 24.06% in Charpy impact strength was found with the addition of 0.25 wt.% of GnP in CFRP laminates. Another feature is the application of the ‘Four-point probe method’ on the samples for electrical characterization. The electrical conductivity was satisfactorily enhanced by 241.36% and a reduction of 70.71% in electrical resistance was also found with the incorporation of 1.75 wt.% of GnP. The thermal stability was shown by CF/Epoxy polymer composite in the TGA curve when GnP reinforcement is 1.0% by weight. But only up to a certain optimal concentration, beyond which the performance tends to deteriorate due to the agglomeration of GnP, leading to a degradation of bonding efficiency at the interface. The finding demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed materials for structural component development.