Comparative investigation of the properties of graphene nanoplatelet reinforced titanium diboride and niobium diboride ceramics

In this study, the effect of GNP concentration on the mechanical properties of spark plasma sintered TiB2 and NbB2 ceramics was investigated. GNP reinforced TiB2 and NbB2 specimens were aimed to produce with nearly full densification. Herein, SEM investigations, Raman analysis, and oxidation behavior of the samples were reported. GNP addition into the TiB2 and NbB2 matrices showed a different effect on various properties of the composites. GNP loading tends to enhance densification by removing native oxides of both TiB2 and NbB2 matrices. GNPs were more effective in the oxygen removal mechanism for TiB2 composites than NbB2. The highest relative density was obtained for TiB2-GNP and NbB2-GNP composites as 98.6% with 7 vol% and 5 vol% GNP additions, respectively. The Vickers microhardness decreased with increasing GNPs loading for both matrices. NbB2-GNP composites possessed higher fracture toughness and better oxidation resistance than TiB2-GNP composites.