ABSTRACT
Composite materials contain a matrix with one or more physically distinct, distributed phases, known as reinforcements or fillers. The reinforcement/ filler is added to the matrix in order to obtain the desired properties like strength, stiffness, toughness, thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, coefficient of thermal expansion, electromagnetic shielding, damping, and wear resistance. Composite materials can be seen everywhere, from airplanes to cars and sports equipments. They have become an essential part of our day-to-day life. In fact, the basic principles of composite materials were applied quite early in building mud houses, where the clay was reinforced with grass straws, and boat making in which wooden planks were held together with iron plates. The use of reinforced concrete in the construction and infrastructure industry is another example of composite material. Nature is a great manufacturer and source of composite materials. Natural materials like wood and bone are composite materials with multi-scale microstructure and are quintessential examples of the synergistic principles behind the improvement of the properties. Nowadays, an entirely new field of study, namely biomimetics, is dedicated to the understanding and reproduction of the structure of the natural materials like nacre to enhance properties or to attain similar functionality.
