This paper provides a critical review on the current status of graphene-reinforced metal matrix composites (GRMMCs) in an effort to guide future work on this topic. Metal matrix composites are preferred over other types of composites for their ability to meet engineering and structural demands. Graphene is considered an ideal reinforcement material for composites due to its unique structure and extraordinary physical, thermal, and electrical properties. Incorporating graphene as a reinforcement in metals is a way of harnessing its extraordinary properties, resulting in an enhanced metallic behavior for a wide variety of applications. Combining graphene with bulk metal matrices is a recent endeavor that has proven to have merit. A systematic study is needed to critically examine the efforts applied in this field, the successes achieved, and the challenges faced. This review highlights the three main pillars of GRMMCs: synthesis, structure, and properties. First, it discusses the synthesis techniques utilized for the fabrication of GRMMCs. Then, it highlights the resulting microstructures of the composites, including graphene dispersion and interfacial interactions. Finally, it summarizes the enhancements in the mechanical, electrical, thermal, and tribological properties of GRMMCs, while highlighting the effects of graphene type and content on those enhancements.

中文翻译：

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石墨烯增强的块状金属基复合材料：合成，微观结构和性能

本文对石墨烯增强金属基复合材料（GRMMC）的现状进行了重要的评论，以指导有关该主题的未来工作。金属基质复合材料比其他类型的复合材料更能满足工程和结构要求，因此是首选。石墨烯因其独特的结构以及非凡的物理，热和电性能而被认为是复合材料的理想增强材料。在金属中掺入石墨烯作为增强材料是一种利用其非凡性能的方法，从而为各种应用提供了增强的金属性能。将石墨烯与块状金属基体结合在一起是一项最近的努力，已被证明具有优势。需要进行系统的研究，以严格审查在该领域中所做的努力，取得的成功，和面临的挑战。这篇综述重点介绍了GRMMC的三个主要支柱：合成，结构和特性。首先，它讨论了用于制造GRMMC的合成技术。然后，它突出显示了所得复合材料的微观结构，包括石墨烯的分散和界面相互作用。最后，它总结了GRMMC的机械，电气，热学和摩擦学性能方面的增强，同时重点介绍了石墨烯类型和含量对这些增强的影响。