Experimental analysis on the influence of graphene nanoplatelets in CFRP composite to explore the hole quality during drilling

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites have been steadily growing over the last couple of decades due to their durability and sustainability. This study aims to investigate the effects of different weight percentage (wt%) of graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs), spindle speed (SS), and feed rate (FR) on damage resulting from drilling of carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites. The effect of graphene in wt% (0.125, 0.25, and 0.375) on properties of CFRP was explored. The outcome of the present investigation revealed enhancement in the mechanical and machining qualities of the CFRP laminates by incorporating graphene up to 0.25 wt% in epoxy. Graphene (0.25 wt%)-embedded CFRP composite was shown to have a minimum surface roughness (SR), torque, thrust force (TF), entry, and exit delamination factor (DF) of (1.4298 μm), (1115.08 N), (2.8149 Nm), (1.1018), and (1.1268), respectively. The FR was found to be the most influential parameter for all the machining responses while graphene was the second most important parameter for SR, entry DF and exit DF, according to ANOVA analysis. The composites’ machining performances were optimized by increasing SS and decreasing FR. Lastly, the morphology of the machined surfaces was studied using the FESEM analysis.