Composite and Nanocomposite Materials

Book excerpt: Among the modern materials, the composites have a few decades of history. However, there has been a tremendous advancement of this class of material in science and technology. During recent decades, composite materials have steadily gained ground in nearly all sectors. The composite materials have been used in various industrial applications such as buildings and constructions, aerospace, automotive and sports equipment, consumer products etc. Nanotechnology is rapidly evolving, and science, engineering, and technology have merged to bring nanoscale materials that much closer to reality. It is one of the fastest growing areas for research. Nanocomposite materials are helping improve products that we use every day and creating new, exciting products for the future. Composites and nanocomposites composed of reinforcements, nano-reinforcements, and matrices are well-known engineering materials. Keeping in mind the advantages of composite and nanocomposite materials, this book covers fundamental effects, product development, properties, and applications of the materials including material chemistry, designing, and manufacturing. The book also summarizes the recent developments made in the area of advanced composite and nanocomposite materials. A number of critical issues and suggestions for future work are discussed, underscoring the roles of researchers for the efficient development of composites and nanocomposites through value additions to enhance their use.