ABSTRACT
Polymer nanocomposites are multiphase solid materials in which at least one of the phases shows dimensions in the nanometer range. These materials can be fabricated from a variety of nanoparticles, including 1D nanoparticle (e.g., clay platelets), 2D nanobers (e.g., nanotubes and whiskers), and 3D spherical and polyhedral nanoparticles (e.g., colloidal silica, metal, and POSS). The incorporation of nanoparticles in polymer matrices leads to signicant improvements in various physical properties. Therefore, they have found new application elds such as sensors, optics, medical treatments, computer chip packaging (insulation), protective coatings, adhesives, and aerospace composites.
