Journal of Materials Science Research and Reviews

This work aims at developing a rational design of graphene-oxide based filler and addresses modifications to the filler architecture in generating fillers that can adapt to the needs of additive manufacturing and lead to superior performance. Novel graphene-based fillers are synthesized through a facile self-assembly and surface functionalization techniques specifically tailored for additive manufacturing-based composite applications. Taking nylon as a model polymer system, we prepared graphene oxide, self-assembled them into well-ordered layered macroscopic structures that can slide over each other through cooperative interactions to result in superior toughness of the manufactured composites. To improve the matrix filler interaction, we adopted polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) based surface functionalization technique to develop covalent bonding between the GO and nylon. The Raman analysis revealed that an intensity ratio of 0.88 was observed for 1 wt% GO/PVA as compared to a ratio of 0.98 for pure PVA. Similarly, the stress-strain curves reveal a sharp increase in linear characteristic for the 1 wt% GO/PVA and a 40 % increase in the elongation at break due to a strong crystallinity and orientation. Owing to the unique architecture of the filler, its combination with superior matrix-filler interaction resulted in a composite with a balance of mechanical properties, which may be adapted to create futuristic composite structures.