Graphene is one of the stiffest known materials, with a Youngs modulus of 1 TPa, making it an ideal candidate for use as a reinforcement in high-performance composites. However, being a one-atom thick crystalline material, graphene poses several fundamental questions: (1) can decades of research on carbon-based composites be applied to such an ultimately-thin crystalline material? (2) is continuum mechanics used traditionally with composites still valid at the atomic level? (3) how does the matrix interact with the graphene crystals and what kind of theoretical description is appropriate? We have demonstrated unambiguously that stress transfer takes place from the polymer matrix to monolayer graphene, showing that the graphene acts as a reinforcing phase. We have also modeled the behavior using shear-lag theory, showing that graphene monolayer nanocomposites can be analyzed using continuum mechanics. Additionally, we have been able to monitor stress transfer efficiency and breakdown of the graphene/polymer interface.
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