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Journal of Inorganic Materials

Journal of Inorganic Materials

• Research Letter • Previous Articles    

Fabrication of Graphene-reinforced Alumina Ceramic Composites via Adsorption-precipitation Self-assembly Combined with Spark Plasma Sintering

CHENG Aopeng1,2,3, WANG Yuewen2,3,4, XU Wentao2,5,6*, LIU Quanwei2,3,4, ZHANG Haitao2,5,6, ZHOU Youfu2,5,6   

  1. 1. College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China;
    2. State Key Laboratory of Structure Chemistry, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Mater, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China;
    3. Fujian College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China;
    4. College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350002, China;
    5. Key Laboratory of Optoelectronic Materials Chemistry and Physics, Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Mater, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fuzhou 350002, China;
    6. Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China, Fuzhou 350108, China
  • Received:2025-04-04 Revised:2025-06-06
  • Contact: XU Wentao, associate professor. E-mail: wtxu@fjirsm.ac.cn
  • About author:CHENG Aopeng (1999-), male, Master candidate. E-mail: chengaopeng@fjirsm.ac.cn
  • Supported by:
    National Key Research and Development Program of China (2022YFB3708500; 2023YFB3611000); Fujian Science & Technology Innovation Laboratory for Optoelectronic Information of China (2020ZZ109)

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Abstract: Alumina ceramics are widely utilized structural materials, yet their inherent brittleness and monofunctionality limit their application in high-stress scenarios. The strategic integration of two-dimensional graphene sheets, characterized by their excellent mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, into ceramic matrix can facilitate grain refinement through interface engineering, thereby achieving performance optimization. Conventional physical blending methods result in poor uniformity and integrity of 2D sheets, thereby impeding advancements in graphene-ceramic composites. Herein, a novel adsorption-precipitation self-assembly (APSA) method was proposed for the nondestructive integrating of graphene oxide (GO) sheets with submicron Al2O3 particles. A homogeneous precursor is obtained by uniform deposition of Al3+ ions adsorbed on GO surface, followed by low-temperature rapid densification via spark plasma sintering (SPS). For the resultant composites, the incorporated graphene is aligned parallel to the alumina grains, facilitating grain refinement and significantly enhancing the mechanical properties through the synergistic effect of various toughening mechanisms, including pull-out, crack extension, and bridging. In comparison to monolithic alumina ceramics, the ceramic composites exhibit a 43% enhancement in flexural strength ((428±87) MPa) and a 34% improvement in fracture toughness ((4.40±0.13) MPa⋅m1/2). Furthermore, the strength and toughness values are also increased by 15% respectively, compared to specimens made from the conventional ball-milling mixing process, confirming the efficacy and advancement of such manufacturing approach.

Key words: graphene, alumina, ceramic composites, reinforcement, self-assembly

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