Adjustable micro-structure, higher-level mechanical behavior and conductivities of preformed graphene architecture/epoxy composites via RTM route

Abstract With respect to the requirement for good dispersibility and ordered arrangement for graphene in three dimensional graphene architecture (3DGA) and the performance for epoxy-based composites, 3DGA was synthesized in various pore diameters and RTM was introduced into the fabrication of 3DGA/epoxy composites compared to the graphene/composites in direct-mixing method. Mechanical modulus and strength of 3DGA/epoxy composites increased by one or two times compared with pure epoxy. Relative to composites in direct-mixing method, the increase in compressive and flexural strength of 3DGA/epoxy composites was at least twofold to tenfold. On account of the decreased pore size for 3DGA, the compressive and flexural strength was in noticeable improvement of 41% and 78%, respectively. With distinct network connecting structure of 3DGA, over 5 orders of magnitude enhancement took place in electrical conductivities of thermal reduced 3DGA/epoxy composites. It was conducive to prepare high performance composites by adjusting the internal structure of graphene/epoxy composites.