The effect of graphene reinforcement on the mechanical properties of Al2O3 ceramics rapidly sintered by high-frequency induction heating

Abstract Despite of many attractive properties, the low fracture toughness of Al 2 O 3 ceramic limits its wide application. One of the most obvious tactics to improve the mechanical properties has been to add a reinforcing agent to formulate a nanostructured composite material. In this respect, graphene was evaluated as the reinforcing agent of Al 2 O 3 ceramics using high-frequency induction heated sintering (HFIHS). Highly dense alumina–graphene composites with a relative density of up to 99.6% were obtained within 2 min by HFIHS under a pressure of 80 MPa. The rapid consolidation method allowed the retainment of the nano-scale microstructure by inhibiting the grain growth. The grain size of alumina was reduced significantly by the addition of graphene. The addition of graphene to Al 2 O 3 simultaneously improved the fracture toughness and hardness of alumina–graphene composite.