Nanocomposites for Vehicle Structural Applications

Abstract

Fiber-reinforced composites are a type of engineering material that has exhibited high strength–weight and modulus–weight ratios, even compared with some metallic materials. In the last two decades, some studies have shown the potential improvement in properties and performances of fiber reinforced polymer matrix materials in which nano and micro-scale particles were incorporated. This technology of nano and micro-scale particle reinforcement can be categorized into inorganic layered clay technology, single walled and multi-walled carbon nanotube, carbon nanofiber technology, and metal particle technology. To date, nanoparticle reinforcement of fiber reinforced composites has been shown to be a possibility, but much work remains to be performed in order to understand how nanoreinforcement results in major changes in material properties. The understanding of these phenomena will facilitate their extension to the reinforcement of more complicated anisotropic structures and advanced polymeric composite systems. Large quantity of nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotubes, nanofibers, SiO