Development of high-performance composites operating in harsh conditions is gaining tremendous attention due to their broad range of applications such as mass transport, defense, energy, manufacturing, electronics, healthcare, and so forth. Some of the current challenges include the development of lightweight composites suitable for high or low temperatures, high impacts, and corrosive or radiation environments. Among various nanomaterials, graphene based materials have emerged as the most popular class of nanoadditive which can revolutionize every industry sectors. Herein, we briefly discuss the properties of graphene as a potential additive for high-performance composites. The review focuses on the functional properties of graphene based polymer nanocomposites in range of harsh operational conditions, such as cryo-mechanical properties, ballistic impact resistance, thermal conductivity, deicing/anti-icing behavior, self-cleaning, sensing properties and flame retardant properties. Finally, we conclude with an outlook for the development of graphene based polymer nanocomposites for harsh conditions by deliberating the major progress, challenges, and opportunities.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.