Effect of the graphene derived from thermal reduction within matrix on the performance of graphene/poly (methyl methacrylate) composites

• Graphene oxide can be reduced within the matrix via low temperature and pressure promoted thermal treatment.
• New method increased the compatibility between geaphene and matrix, rendering to enhance the structure of composites.
• New method can reduce the graphene content of composites and cost of production with the same effect.
• Optimizing graphene structure to obtain polymer composites with high performance.

Graphene oxide can be used to prepared graphene oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) composites as nanofiller by bulk polymerization. Then the graphene oxide/poly(methyl methacrylate) are treated to produce graphene/poly(methyl methacrylate), via low-temperature and pressure promoted thermal reduction process. The physicochemical properties and microstructure of graphene were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermograviment analyzer (TGA). The effects of low-temperature and pressure promoted thermal reduction graphene amount on the microstructure, mechanical strength, and pyrolysis properties of graphene/poly(methyl methacrylate) were investigated by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM), universal testing machine and TGA, respectively. It is found that the introduction of graphene oxide and reduction within matrix have a significant effect on the microstructure of polymer composites. The flexural strength and thermal stability of polymer composites increased with the increase of graphene additive amount, and it is better than the polymer composites which added graphene immediately, whose flexural strength the maximum is ca. 92 MPa.