Experimental assessment of the mechanical performance of graphene nanoplatelets coated polymers

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordThis study presents the effect of spray-coated graphene nanoplatelets on the mechanical response of various polymers to cyclic loadings. The substrates material (three polymers) and the coating (various numbers of coating layers) are assessed. The experimental results suggest that the compressive stiffness, compressive modulus, damping and energy dissipation of the samples coated with graphene nanoplatelets improve with respect to the uncoated samples. The outcomes of this experimental research highlight the feasibility of utilising films of graphene nanoplatelets to improve the mechanical properties of polymers for vibration isolation, foreseeing application in various environments for instance in buildings and infrastructures (bridges, railways) for seismic and acoustic isolation.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

The Effect of Graphene Ultrasonic Coating on Recycled Rubber

This is the author accepted manuscript.Data availability: The processed data required to reproduce these findings cannot be shared at this time as the data also forms part of an ongoing study.In this study the mechanical behaviour of a graphene‐recycled rubber compound is investigated by performing static and dynamic tests. Water‐based graphene suspension was deposited on recycled rubber pads via electrostatic addition process. Results on tensile and compression tests indicate a significant improvement of the compound in strength and in damping. They also indicate that the compound experiences significant elongation (up to 500%) as well as withstands high tensile forces, 300% greater than the force that the recycled rubber mix would withstand. The effective compression modulus of the compound is also shown to increase of about 3.2 times at 10% strain with respect to the one for the recycled rubber mix. Results suggests that the graphene‐recycled rubber compound can deliver a sustainable solution for vibration mitigation applications.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Graphene–Rubber Layered Functional Composites for Seismic Isolation of Structures

Herein, novel graphene-reinforced elastomeric isolators (GREI) are proposed. Elastomeric isolators (EIs) are special devices used for seismic isolation of structures. They are made of alternate layers of steel and rubber (steel-reinforced EI [SREI]), and they position between the structure and its foundations to decouple them. The heavy weight and complex manufacturing process of SREI drives costs up, and this restricts their use to strategic buildings such as hospitals and civic centers. In recent years, alternative materials have been proposed to replace the steel sheets of SREI, e.g., glass or carbon fiber-reinforced EIs (FREIs). However, their mechanical behavior requires further investigation before being implemented in existing and new structures safely. As a promising alternative, GREI is proposed here to overcome the heavy weight and long manufacturing process of SREI and the mechanical limitation of FREI to seismic excitations