Original Article

The influence of different graphene doping levels on the microstructure and wear performance of aluminum alloy for drill pipes

¹ School of New Energy and Materials, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, PR China
² State Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, PR China
³ Dongfang Boiler Co., Ltd., Chengdu 611731, PR China

^* e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 14 January 2025
Accepted: 7 July 2026

Abstract

The aluminum matrix composites with varying graphene doping levels were designed and fabricated with the aim of investigating the impact of graphene sheet doping on the microstructure, mechanical properties, and friction and wear characteristics of aluminum alloy matrices in the present study. It is observed that at low graphene concentrations, graphene sheets are uniformly dispersed at the grain boundaries of the aluminum alloy matrix, effectively filling the pores within the material. These graphene sheets impede the growth of aluminum alloy grains, contributing to grain refinement. However, when the graphene doping exceeds a threshold (0.1 wt.%), agglomeration occurs among the graphene materials. This agglomeration disrupts the composite's interaction with the aluminum alloy and introduces numerous defects into the material. Further experimental results indicate that moderate graphene doping enhances the strength, hardness, and wear resistance of the aluminum alloy. In contrast, excessive graphene doping degrades these properties, undermining the composite's overall performance.