Recent progress in the development and properties of aluminum matrix composites reinforced with graphene: A review

The lightweight development of automobiles and space shuttles has led to higher requirements for aluminum and its alloys. Graphene has been widely employed in aluminum matrix composites due to its outstanding mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties. This paper commences from the conventional ball milling process to solution-assisted powder mixing and surface modification, focusing on the uniform dispersion and interfacial bonding of graphene as a reinforcing phase in the aluminum matrix. The primary sintering process of graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites and the impact of the sintering process on performance are presented. The strengthening mechanism of graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites is summarized and analyzed. Lastly, the future development direction of graphene-reinforced aluminum matrix composites and the challenges of new preparation technology are proposed.