Preparation and properties of graphene nanosheets/carbon foam composites

• Published in: Journal of analytical and applied pyrolysis 2016-01, Vol.117, p.290-295
• Main Authors: Zhang, Kang, Li, Yangfeng, Chen, Tingting, Lin, Qilang, Huang, Xiangdong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Carbon foams; Characteristics; Composites; Graphene nanosheets; Microstructures
• ISSN: 0165-2370; 1873-250X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jaap.2015.11.003

•Carbon foam from cyanate ester resin can be strengthened by graphene nanosheets (GNs).•The addition of GNs is beneficial to improve the structural uniformity of carbon foam.•The GNs/carbon foam composites possess good mechanical performances.•The composites have enhanced bulk density and open cell with the increasing of GNs. Graphene nanosheets(GNs)/carbon foam composites were prepared by direct pyrolysis of GNs/cyanate ester (CE) resin mixtures at ambient pressure. Pyrolysis behaviors of the GNs/CE resin mixtures were studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, the effects of the additive amount of GNs on the microstructures, physical properties and compressive behaviors of the resulting GNs/carbon foam composites were investigated. Results show that the additive amount of GNs has great effect on the thermal stability of the CE resin as well as the structures and properties of the resulting composites. With the increasing of additive amount of GNs from 0 to 6wt.%, the composite exhibits an increase in the bulk density and mechanical performance as well as structural uniformity. When the additive amount is 6wt.%, its bulk density, compressive strength and modulus arrive at 0.38g/cm3, 7.11MPa and 115.9MPa, respectively.