Mechanical and conductivity properties of 6061Al matrix composites reinforced with different pH Cu-coated graphene

The lightweight designs of automobiles and space shuttles have raised the bar for aluminum (Al) and its alloys. Graphene (GP) has found widespread application in aluminum matrix composites due to its exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. In this study, a successful preparation of 6061Al reinforced with GP was achieved through a powder metallurgy method. This involved mixing GP with 6061Al alloy powders via ball milling, followed by hot-pressing sintering to produce the final GP-reinforced Al alloy nanocomposite. The effect of the pH value of the plating solution on the electroless plating of GP has been studied for the first time. The results show that the strength of the aluminum-matrix composites with copper plating has been significantly improved compared with that of the composites without copper plating. When the pH value of the plating solution is 12, the tensile strength of the composites obtained has been increased by 60.41%. Compared with the matrix material, the conductivity of the composite material has also increased. This work shows that the mechanical behavior of graphene-reinforced metal matrix composites (MMCs) can be improved by adjusting the distribution of graphene coatings, which is of great benefit for the preparation of high strength and lightweight composites with good electrical conductivity.[GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT}