Graphene-reinforced elastomeric nanocomposites: A review

The development of graphene nanosheets and/or their derivatives (GSDs) has sparkled worldwide overwhelming industrial and academic research interests, due to their unique and potentially useful properties. This review is written to highlight the state of art of GSDs/elastomer nanocomposites and their applications in various fields of technologies. It begins with reviewing the recent progress made in GSDs/elastomer nanocomposites in comparison to elastomer nanocomposites based on carbon nanotubes. The role of GSDs structures, functionalization, type of matrices, and content of fillers on properties of GSDs/elastomer composites has been reviewed systematically. The basic properties of various GSDs/elastomer nanocomposites including; morphology, curing behavior, mechanical properties such as Young's modulus (E), tensile strength (σs) and elongation at break (Eb), electrical percolation threshold, and thermal stability have been discussed in details. Finally, an attempt has been made to identify the critical challenges, which still need to be addressed for improving the processing of GSDs/elastomer nanocomposites and to explore their prospects for advanced applications. The article has been concluded by summarizing the key facts of GSDs that play significant role in developing GSDs/elastomer nanocomposites for technological applications.