# Building a Layer-Structured Aluminum/Graphene Composite with Significant Improvement in Electrical Conductivity

## TL;DR

A new aluminum/graphene composite was created with much better electrical conductivity without losing mechanical strength.

## Contribution

A novel layer-structured Al/graphene composite fabrication method that significantly improves electrical conductivity.

## Key findings

- The composite achieved 66% IACS electrical conductivity, higher than other Al-based composites.
- The composite retained similar mechanical properties to conventional Al-based materials.
- The fabrication method involved ultrasonic spraying and vacuum hot-pressing.

## Abstract

Aluminum (Al) and its alloys are widely used in various fields due to their excellent physical properties. Although many efforts have been made to fabricate an Al-based composite, they usually results in a significant decrease in electrical conductivity. Herein, a special layer-structured Al/graphene (Gr)/Al composite was successfully designed and fabricated through a facile method using the ultrasonic spraying of graphene powder with alumina removal and a subsequent vacuum hot-pressing process. The as-obtained Al/Gr/Al composite presents a significantly enhanced electrical conductivity of 66% IACS, which is much higher than that of other reported Al-based composites, while it still maintains similar mechanical properties. This work provides a new strategy for the development of highly conductive Al-based composites, which would be very useful and important for practical applications.