Mechanical properties of graphene nanoplatelets reinforced 7075 aluminum alloy composite fabricated by spark plasma sintering

A 0.3wt%graphene nanoplatelets(GNPs)reinforced 7075 aluminum alloy matrix(7075 Al)composite was fabricated by spark plasma sintering and its strength and wear resistance were investigated.The microstructures of the internal structure,the friction surface,and the wear debris were characterized by scanning electron microscopy,X-ray diffraction,and Raman spectroscopy.Compared with the original 7075 aluminum alloy,the hardness and elastic modulus of the 7075 Al/GNPs composite were found to have increased by 29%and 36%,respectively.The results of tribological experiments indicated that the composite also exhibited a lower wear rate than the original 7075 aluminum alloy.