Simultaneous strengthening and toughening of reduced graphene oxide/alumina composites fabricated by molecular-level mixing process

Reduced graphene oxide/alumina composite powders were prepared by mixing of graphene oxides and aluminum ions at the molecular-level. It was found that the composite consolidated from the powders showed that reduced graphene oxide were homogeneously dispersed and strongly bonded with the alumina matrix by oxygen atoms presenting at reduced graphene oxide/alumina interfaces. Both the hardness and the toughness of the composites were enhanced simultaneously by the addition of reduced graphene oxide, which act as bridges to restrain the propagation of cracks in the alumina matrix. It is clarified that graphenes can be utilized as promising reinforcements for enhancement in mechanical properties of ceramic materials when the molecular-level mixing process is applied.