Enhancing the electrical conductivity of in-situ reduced graphene oxide-zirconia composites through the control of the processing routine

Graphene oxide (GO) was mixed with 3 mol% yttria tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3YTZP) using two powder processing routines: a colloidal method in an aqueous solution and a combination of ultrasonication with high-energy planetary ball milling in wet conditions. Highly densified 3YTZP composites with reduced GO (rGO) were consolidated by Spark Plasma Sintering. The in-situ reduction of GO was successfully achieved during the high-temperature sintering process and a detailed study of the restoration of the graphene structure in the sintered composites has been made by Raman spectroscopy. Although no differences between the composites prepared by the two processing methods were found in the distribution of the rGO throughout the 3YTZP matrix for high rGO contents (i.e. the composites with 5 and 10 vol% rGO), a better distribution of the graphene phase was found in the composites with 1 and 2.5 vol% rGO prepared by planetary ball milling. This result, together with a better reduction of the GO in these composites, led to the obtaining of rGO/3YTZP composites with a better behavior in terms of electrical conductivity: an electrical percolation threshold below 2.5 vol% rGO and a high electrical conductivity value (~610 S/m for 10 vol% rGO)