The Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Silicon Carbide Containing Graphene Nanoplatelets Sonicated for Different Times

Abstract

In this study, the effects of adding the graphene nanoplatelets (GPLs) prepared at different probe sonication times such as 1, 2, 4 and 6 h on the microstructure and mechanical properties of silicon carbide (SiC) ceramic were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) examinations and size measurements revealed that the dimension of GPLs decreased with increasing sonication time. However, the reduction in the dimension of the GPLs was very low up to the 2 h sonication time and became more pronounced at the 4 and 6 h sonication times. Raman analyses indicated that dispersions of GPLs agglomerates increased as well as defects and/or disorders in their structures with increasing sonication time. However, the thickness of the well-dispersed GPLs obtained at the 2 h sonication time did not change when the sonication time was increased to 4 and 6 h. GPLs were exfoliated with probe sonication and exhibited a homogeneous distribution in the SiC matrix microstructure. The highest increment in the fracture toughness of SiC in both the through-plane (//) and in-plane (⊥) directions was achieved with the addition of GPLs sonicated for 2 h among the GPLs prepared at different sonication times. The higher contribution of 2-h sonicated GPLs to fracture toughness than non-sonicated and 1-h sonicated GPLs was associated with their more uniform distribution in the matrix microstructure, while higher toughness values they provided compared to 4 and 6 h sonicated GPLs could be explained by the positive effect of their higher lateral dimension and aspect ratio. GPLs have improved the fracture toughness of SiC mainly with the help of bridging and deflection toughening mechanisms.

Keywords

• Graphene Nanoplatelets (GPLs)
• Sonication
• Fracture Toughness
• Silicon Carbide

Kaynakça

1. [1] Singh V., Joung D., Zhai L., Das S., Khondaker S.I., Seal S., Graphene based materials: past, present and future, Progress in Materials Science, 56 (2011) 1178–1271.
2. [2] Mas-Balleste R., Gomez-Navarro C., Gomez-Herrero J, Zamora F, 2D materials: to graphene and beyond, Nanoscale, 3 (2011) 20-30.
3. [3] Geim A.K, Novoselov K.S., The rise of graphene, Nature Materials, 6 (2007) 183–191.
4. [4] Abderrezak H., Bel Hadj Hmida E.S. (2011) Silicon Carbide: Synthesis and Properties in Properties and Applications of Silicon carbide, IntechOpen, ISBN: 978-307-201-2.
5. [5] Kordina O., Saddow S.E. (2004) Silicon Carbide Overview in Advances in Silicon Carbide Processing and Applications, ,Artech House, Inc., Boston, 1-23, ISBN:1-58053-740-5.
6. [6] Mukasyan A.S., Silicon Carbide, in Concise Encyclopedia of Self-Propagating High-Temperature Synthesis, History, Theory, Technology, and Products, Elsevier Science, ISBN: 9780128041888 (2017), 336-338.
7. [7] Bodis, E., Cora I., Balazsi C., Nemeth P., Karoly Z., Klebert S., Fazekas P., Keszler, A.M., Spark plasma sintering of graphene reinforced silicon carbide ceramics, Ceramics International, 43 (12) (2017) 9005-9011.
8. [8] Li S., Luo X., Wei C., Gao P, Wang P, Zhou L, Enhanced strength and toughness of silicon carbide ceramics by graphene platelet-derived laminated reinforcement, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 834 (2020) 155252.

9. [9] Rahman A., Singh A., Karumuri S., Harimkar S.P., Graphene reinforced silicon carbide nanocomposites–Processing and properties, Composite, Hybrid, and Multifunctional Materials, 4 (2015) 165-176.
10. [10] Yang Y., Li B., Zhang C, Wang S., Liu K., Yang B, Fabrication and properties of graphene reinforced silicon nitride composite materials, Materials Science and Engineering: A, 644 (2015) 90-95.
11. [11] Porwal H., Tatarko P., Grasso S., Khaliq J. Dlouhý I., Reece M.J., Graphene reinforced alumina nano-composites, Carbon 64 (2013) 359-369.
12. [12] Yun C., Fenga Y., Qiu T, Yang J, Li X., Yu L., Mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties of graphene nanosheet/aluminum nitride composites, Ceramics International, 41 (7) (2015) 8643-8649.
13. [13] Tapasztó O., Puchy V., Horváth Z.E., Fogarassy Z., Bódis E, Károly Z., Balázsi K., Dusza J., Tapasztó L., The effect of graphene nanoplatelet thickness on the fracture toughness of Si3N4 composites, Ceramics International, 45 (6) (2019) 6858-6862.
14. [14] Markandan K., Chin J.K., Tan M.T.T., Recent progress in graphene based ceramic composites: a review, Journal of Materials Research, 32 (2017) 84-106.
15. [15] Muthoosamy K., Manickam S., State of the art and recent advances in the ultrasound-assisted synthesis, exfoliation and functionalization of graphene derivatives. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 39 (2017) 478-493.
16. [16] Zhang B., Chen T., Study of Ultrasonic Dispersion of Graphene Nanoplatelets, Materials, 12 (2019) 1757.
17. [17] Baskut S., Cinar A., Turan S., Directional properties and microstructures of spark plasma Sintered aluminum nitride containing graphene platelets, Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 37 (2017) 3759–3772.
18. [18] Rangel E.R., Fracture Toughness Determinations by Means of Indentation Fracture, Nanocomposites with Unique Properties and Applications in Medicine and Industry, InTech, 2011.
19. [19] Ferrari A.C., Raman spectroscopy of graphene and graphite: disorder,electronphonon coupling, doping and nonadiabatic effects, Solid State Communications 143 (2007) 47–57.
20. [20] Li C., Li D., Yang J., Zeng X., Yuan W., Preparation of single- and few-layer graphene sheets using Co deposition on SiC substrate, Journal of Nanomaterials, 2011 (2011) 319624.
21. [21] Childres I., Jaureguib L.A., Park W., Cao H., Chen Y.P., Raman spectroscopy of graphene and related materials, 97 (2010) 173109.
22. [22] Ramirez C., Garzon L., Miranzo P., Osendi M.I., Ocal C., Electrical conductivity maps in graphene nanoplatelets/silicon nitride composites using conducting scanning force microscopy, Carbon 49 (2011) 3873–3880.
23. [23] Turan S., Knowles K.M., High resolution transmission electron microscopy of the planar defect structure of hexagonal boron nitride, physica Status Solidi (a), 150 (1995) 227-237.
24. [24] Habib S., Kamran M., Rashid U., Impact analysis of vehicle-to-grid technology and charging strategies of electric vehicles on distribution networks - A review, Journal of Powers, 277 (2015) 205-214.
25. [25] Moslemi M., Razavi M., Zakeri M, Rahimipour M.R., Schreiner M., Effect of carbon fiber volume fraction on 6H to 4H-SiC polytype transformation, Phase Transitions, 91 (2018) 733–741.
26. [26] Chatterjee S., Nafezarefi F., Tai N.H., Schlagenhauf L., Nüesch F.A., Chu B.T.T., Size and synergy effects of nanofiller hybrids including graphene nanoplatelets and carbon nanotubes in mechanical properties of epoxy composites. Carbon, 50 (2012) 5380–5386.
27. [27] Halpin J., Stiffness and expansion estimates for oriented short fiber composites, Journal of Composite Materials, 3 (4) (1969) 732-734.
28. [28] Mori T., Tanaka K., Average stress in matrix and average elastic energy of materials with misfitting inclusions Acta Metall, 21 (5) (1973) 571-574.
29. [29] Tapasztó O., Puchy V., Horváth Z.E., Fogarassy Z., Bódis E., The effect of graphene nanoplatelet thickness on the fracture toughness of Si3N4 composites, Ceramics International, 45 (6) (2019) 6858-6862.