Graphene-Enriched Agglomerated Cork Material and Its Behaviour under Quasi-Static and Dynamic Loading

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Mechanical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Growing environmental concerns and political agendas are increasing cork's significance in various applications.
• There is a need to enhance cork's mechanical properties, particularly for crashworthiness applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To improve the mechanical response of cork agglomerates for crashworthiness.
• To investigate the effect of incorporating graphene oxide (GO) and graphene nanoplates (GNP) into cork structures.

Main Methods:

• Homogenous dispersion of graphene materials (GO or GNP) into granulated cork using stirrers.
• Compression and curing of the graphene-enriched cork agglomerates.
• Mechanical testing under quasi-static and dynamic compressive loading at various graphene concentrations (0.1, 0.5, 1.0 wt%).

Main Results:

• Microscopic analysis confirmed good dispersion of graphene within the cork matrix.
• Inclusion of graphene (GO or GNP) led to a later densification stage in the mechanical response.
• The stress plateau levels were maintained despite the addition of graphene.

Conclusions:

• Graphene enrichment offers a viable method to enhance the mechanical behavior of cork agglomerates.
• The improved mechanical response is attributed to delayed densification, making graphene-modified cork suitable for crashworthiness applications.