Composite graphene structures
Graphene has been used in nanocomposites as constituents/doping in plastics or epoxy providing dramatic enhancement of the mechanical properties but have not progressed past the laboratory level novelty. This invention can provide a graphene based composite structure with a density less that 1.9 g/cm 3 for a fiber, yarn, rope or cable and a density less that 1.5 g/cm 3 for a sheet both structure have tensile and shear strength greater than either Aluminum or Steel; thus providing a graphene material that is both much lighter and stronger.
1. A method of making a high-strength composite, comprising the sequential steps of:
plating a conducting surface on a substrate;
electroplating previously formed flat graphene flakes onto the conducting surface from a carrier fluid suspension of graphene flakes in a vessel to covalently bond the flat graphene flakes to the conducting surface and to give a plated layer, wherein the flakes have an average width of 0.5 to 100 microns at room temperature;
removing the plated substrate from the vessel;
drying to remove carrier fluid from the plated graphene;
applying a layer of polymer containing a solvent to infiltrate between the graphene flakes, wherein the polymer is chemically bondable to the graphene, and the solvent containing polymer has a viscosity between 1 and 30,000 centipoises;
removing air from between the graphene flakes infiltrated by said bondable polymer layer, and
curing the high-strength composite at room temperature or room pressure or both.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a fiber, a flat surface, a shaped substrate, or a formed substrate.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is at least one of a plastic, a wood, a metal, or a grass.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed before the plating of the conducting surface.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the drying to remove carrier fluid is done in a vacuum-furnace chamber.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein air in the bondable polymer is removed by drying in a vacuum-furnace chamber.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bondable polymer is at least one of an epoxy, a thermoplastic, or a thermosetting polymer.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said bondable polymer is a mixture of thermoplastic and thermosetting plastics.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said flakes are 5 to 50 micron across.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein said flakes are 5 to 20 micron across.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein said flakes are 5 to 14 micron across.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the removing air from between the graphene flakes from said bondable polymer layer is vacuum facilitated.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the conducting surface is nickel or copper.
14. The method of claim 3 , wherein the grass is bamboo.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid is water.
16. A method of making a high-strength composite, comprising the sequential steps of:
plating a nickel surface on a substrate;
electroplating previously formed flat graphene flakes onto an electrically conducting surface from a water suspension of graphene flakes in a vessel to give a plated layer under conditions that covalently bond the graphene flakes to each other and the conducting surface, wherein the flakes are 5 to 20 micron across at room temperature;
removing the plated substrate from the vessel;
drying to remove the water from the plated graphene;
applying a layer of polymer containing a solvent to infiltrate between the graphene flakes, wherein the polymer is chemically bondable to the graphene, and the solvent-containing polymer has a viscosity between 1 and 30,000 centipoises;
removing solvent from the polymer and air from between the graphene flakes infiltrated by said bondable polymer layer, and
curing the high-strength composite at room temperature or room pressure or both.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the removing solvent and air from between the graphene flakes from said bondable polymer layer is vacuum facilitated.