Nanocomposites: Types and Various Methods of Synthesis

Abstract

Nanocomposite (NC) is a multiphase solid material in which at least one of the phases shows dimensions in the nanometre range. In this chapter, the authors discuss about the three types of NCs, that is, ceramic, metal, and polymer matrix nanocomposites and their preparation methods in detail. Generally, the most common methods used for preparation of microcomposites are conventional powder method, polymer precursor route, spray pyrolysis, and chemical methods such as sol–gel process, colloidal and precipitation approaches and template synthesis. Polymer matrix nanocomposites can be produced either by chemical or mechanical process. Uniform and homogeneous dispersion of nanoparticles in the polymer matrix is one of the major problems encountered in polymer nanocomposite production. Melt intercalation is considered as one of the most important method for synthesis of thermoplastic polymer nanocomposites.