ABSTRACT
Different types of nanoreinforcement in combination with polymer, metal, or ceramic matrices find application in various areas of engineering and technology. The use of an additional phase at the nanoscale aims in tailoring the properties of the system for specific applications. In terms of the thermomechanical properties, the target is to gain high stiffening, significant load transfer ability, increased fracture toughness, and enhancement of the glass transition temperature (Tg) with very small addition of nanoreinforcement. This can be achieved via the introduction of rigid fillers with large interfacial area within the matrix materials. Most commonly used nanofillers have high elastic modulus along with high aspect ratio and/or extremely large surface area leading to one order of magnitude greater interfacial area compared to that of conventional composite materials. The level of enhancement is generally dependent on the constituent materials (mechanical properties, volume fraction, shape, and size of the filler particles), degree of dispersion/exfoliation/impregnation/orientation, and the interfacial adhesion of the nanoreinforcement in the matrix.
