Processing and properties of graphene-enhanced glass fibre composites using a scalable manufacturing process

The properties of a two-part epoxy resin and GFRP laminates enhanced with high contents of graphene are evaluated. The effect of graphene on the thermomechanical and tensile properties of the resin are studied. An RTM processing window is developed to manufacture laminates. Graphene dispersion is evaluated with optical microscopy and SEM. The flexural properties show an improvement of up to 16% while the thermal conductivity shows an improvement of up to 52% in the transverse direction. The impact performance is negatively affected by 22%. Microscopy shows graphene agglomerates in the composite, explaining the lack of improvement in the electrical conductivity. Thermal conductivity is improved while keeping the insulating properties of the composite which is desirable in applications such as battery retainers and electronic applications. A combination of solvent-free, high-shear mixing of high content graphene-enhanced resin (e.g., 10 wt%) and RTM can be used as an scalable process to produce complex parts.