Synthesis and Characterization of Reduced Graphene Oxide Reinforced Polymer Matrix Composite

Graphene and its derivatives, owing to their superior properties have been being used as reinforcement to improve the properties of polymer matrix. In this work, the influence of Reduced Graphene Oxide (RGO) on the properties of Poly Vinyl Alcohol (PVA) has been studied. RGO was synthesized from graphite powder starting with synthesis of Graphene Oxide (GO) by Modified Hummer's Method followed by the reduction of GO with Hydrazine Hydrate. Synthesized RGO was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS). PVA composites with different RGO loading were fabricated by simple solution mixing method. The fabricated composites were characterized by Optical Microscopy, XRD, UV-Visible Spectroscopy, Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) and Shore hardness test. The reports from those tests have ensured that after incorporating RGO in PVA matrix, band gap energy was decreased, crystallinity and shore hardness were increased and thermal stability was improved up to a certain level of RGO loading. (paper)