Processing and properties evaluation of graphene reinforced aluminium alloy 7075 composites

Abstract

Aluminium and its alloys meet a high demand for lightweight newlinematerials with increased strength in the aviation and automobile industries. newlineAluminium metal matrix composites are used in the construction of aircraft newlineskins for fuselage, wings and panels, because of their durability, anticorrosion newlineproperties and low cost. The advancements made in aluminium newlinecomposites make them unique and competent, as it continues to serve as a newlinemajor structural weight in many commercial and defense aircraft applications. newlineThe most common challenge in aircraft design is reducing weight in order to newlineincrease thrust. This work focuses on the development of an aluminium matrix newlinecomposite with reduced weight and improved properties. Aluminium alloy newline(AA) 7075 is used as the matrix phase in this current study as it is highly used newlinein aircraft applications due to its high strength, ductility, excellent wear newlineresistance and increased fatigue resistance. The reinforcement material chosen newlinefor the experimental work is the graphene, a 2D layer of carbon atoms bonded newlinein the hexagonal honeycomb structure along the lattice. The current work newlinefocuses on the incorporation of graphene particles into the AA7075 matrix to newlineproduce microcomposites, nanocomposites, bimodal composites and hybrid newlinecomposites with microcrystalline grain structure, nanocrystalline grain newlinestructure, bimodal combination and hybrid composition, eventually reporting newlinea comprehensive study newline newline