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Research

Graphene–polymer composites and coatings

Graphene oxide and graphene nanoplatelets as reinforcing fillers in water-based elastomers, polyurethane coatings and layered nanocomposites, with the focus on the filler–polymer interface and on materials that can be made at scale.

Left: strips of water-based polyurethane film that darken as the graphene oxide loading rises from 0 to 1 wt%, with and without crosslinker. Right: storage modulus rising with graphene oxide loading, higher with the crosslinker.
Water-based polyurethane films with increasing graphene oxide loading, without and with a water-based crosslinker (left), and their storage modulus at 20 °C (right). Reproduced from C. N. Nwosu, M. Iliut, C. Soutis and A. Vijayaraghavan, Composites Part B (2026), Fig. 1 and Fig. 7(a), doi:10.1016/j.compositesb.2026.113803, under CC BY 4.0; panels rearranged.

Water-based elastomers avoid the solvents and volatile organic compounds of conventional rubbers, but they are mechanically weaker. Adding graphene oxide, which disperses in water, closes much of that gap. In recent work, 1 wt% graphene oxide together with a water-based crosslinker raised the storage modulus of water-based polyurethane from about 117 MPa to 503 MPa and improved tear strength by up to 39 MPa, with Raman spectroscopy pointing to strong bonding between filler and polymer. The group has reviewed the field of graphene-enhanced water-based elastomers and has developed hard-wearing, high-grip graphene–polyurethane coatings.

Graphene-enhanced elastomer composites from this work were licensed to Inov-8 Ltd in 2018 (see the CV).

This theme contributes to the goals above. More on the goals at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals site. The content of this publication has not been approved by the United Nations and does not reflect the views of the United Nations or its officials or Member States.

Publications 12

  2. Investigating the Effects of Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) and external Waterbased Crosslinker (eWCL) on the Mechanical and Thermal properties of Waterbased Elastomer (WBE) Nanocomposites

    2024 International Elastomer Conference, Pittsburgh, United States, 9/09/24 2024 Conference

  3. Graphene Nanoplatelets (GNPs) Enhanced Water-based Elastomer Nanocomposites -tailored production from Nanoscale to Macrostructures

    13th International Graphene & 2D Materials Conference and Exhibition, Manchester, United Kingdom, 27/06/23 2023 Conference