In Situ Growth of Graphene on Carbon Fabrics with Enhanced Mechanical and Thermal Properties for Tribological Applications of Carbon Fabric–Phenolic Composites

Graphene was grown on a carbon fabric (CF) surface using plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition to improve the tribological properties of CF–resin composites. The results show that CF–resin composites exhibited excellent thermal properties due to the formation of a graphene heat conduction path. Moreover, graphene possesses an edge-rich morphology and large specific surface area, which is helpful to enhance the mechanical interlocking between the CF surface and resin matrix and thus improve the mechanical properties. The wear rate of the modified composites decreased from 3.75 × 10⁻⁵ to 2.68 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/N m compared to that of the composites without graphene. The enhanced wear resistance is mainly attributed to the synergistic effect of the increased interfacial adhesion of CF matrix and the excellent thermal stability of composites.