Graphene nanosheets-filled epoxy composites prepared by a fast dispersion method

Graphene nanosheets-filled epoxy composites (GNS/Epoxy) were prepared at different filler loading levels from 0.25 to 3.00 wt %. A fast dispersion method as short as 5 min is employed to disperse GNS in epoxy matrix, which was enough for the homogeneous dispersion of GNS with the help of high ultrasonic frequency of 100 kHz and power of 200 W and high heat treatment temperature of 70 degrees C. The maximum electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity of the composites achieved 0.058 Sm-1 and 0.57 Wm(-1)K(-1), respectively, with a low electrical percolation threshold of 1.50 wt %. The electrical conductivities were further predicted by percolation theory and found to agree well with the experimental results, which indicated that the graphene nanosheets dispersed very well in the matrix even at very short processing time. The results showed that the microstructures, thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of epoxy polymer were significantly improved by adding a low amount of graphene nanosheets. (c) 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45152.