ABSTRACT
Polymer nanocomposites, an appropriate synonym for nanoparticles in the form of rods, spheres, or sheets dispersed within the polymer matrix, has aroused tremendous interest, both in academia and industry since their early reports in the 1980s. Thermoplastics are a class of polymers that can be repeatedly softened and reformed upon enforcing pressure and heat. Polymers have been attracting the attention of researchers, not only as matrix material, but also as nanofillers owing to their unique mechanical, electrical, and chemical properties. Nanoscopic metals possess a considerable property change upon size reduction as compared to their bulk counterparts. Polymer nanocomposites with their unprecedented property combinations and exceptional design possibilities are establishing themselves as high-performance materials of the twenty-first century and are used in multifarious cutting-edge technologies. The use of natural fibers as nanofillers in polymer composites is fueled to overcome certain disadvantages of their synthetic or man-made counterparts such as carbon, polyethylene, aramid and glass.
