Preparation of Graphene-Perfluoroalkoxy Composite and Thermal and Mechanical Properties

Perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) material exhibits perfect corrosion resistance under both acid or alkaline circumstances; thus, steel heat exchangers are being substituted by those made of PFA in high corrosion atmospheres. However, the low thermal conductivity of PFA degrades its heat transfer efficiency. Based on the extremely high heat conductivity of graphene, a novel grapheme-PFA composite was proposed to simultaneously meet the demands of heat transfer and corrosion resistance. Ultrasonic dispersion technology was used to disperse the aggregated graphene in the composite. Graphene–PFA composites with different graphene contents and using different dispersing solvents were prepared with a hot pressing method, and thermal conductivity, abrasion resistance, crystallization and pyrolysis properties were investigated. The thermal conductivity of PFA composites with graphene content of 20 wt % reached 5.017 W (m·k)(−1), which is 21.88 times that of pure PFA. The relationship between the abrasion loss and the friction coefficient of the composites with different graphene contents was obtained. A thermogravimetric analyzer was used to investigate the crystallization and pyrolysis behavior of the composites; correspondingly, the temperature range that composites work in was determined. The heat conduction mechanism was analyzed through the thermal conductivity model of composite materials. The composite material is expected to play an important role in the development of high-performance thermal equipment.