As-produced Composites Research Articles

Natural zeolite supported g-C3N4/ZnO/Ag3PO4 composite: A tandem n-n heterojunction for simultaneous photodegradation of dyes under visible and solar irradiation

Various zinc-based ternary composite photocatalysts with variable weight percent ratios of g-C3N4:ZnO/Ag3PO4 in pristine and natural zeolite supportedform were prepared using precipitation and solid-state methods, respectively. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer, Emmett, and Teller (BET), Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Ultraviolet–Visible Diffuse Reflectance (UV–Vis DRS), and Photoluminescence (PL) techniques were used to investigate the as-produced composites. The photocatalytic efficacy of the developed materials was studied considering methyl orange dye (MeO) and laboratory-prepared mixed dyes as target pollutants. The photodegradation (MeO) performance of the natural zeolite-supported (NZGZA-1) ternary system was found to be 87.1% under optimal working circumstances. The primary active species engaged in MeO decolorization were the holes. The photodegradation efficiency under outdoor experiment yielded 98.2 and 78.9 %, for MeO and mixture of dyes respectively. After five consecutive cycles, the reusability of the supported catalyst was examined, and a 47.2 % decline was recorded at the end of the fifth cycle showing the fairly well stability of the catalyst. The photocatalytic degradation of the studied model pollutant follows pseudo-1st-order kinetics. The present work evidenced beneficial use of natural zeolite as support to ternary photocatalyst systems with enhanced efficiency apart from meeting the criteria for circular economy. Thus, reusing of spent natural zeolite as a support for composite photocatalysts could be considered viable alternative to disposing the same to the environment.

Novel metal matrix composites reinforced with Zr-based metallic glass lattices

Although various methods have been developed to manufacture metal matrix composites (MMCs), most of the currently employed methods use discontinued crystalline ceramic particles as reinforcements. Herein, we report a new approach of reinforcing metals using a three-dimensional metallic glass (MG) lattice. Specifically, the processing route involves additive manufacturing of a stainless-steel matrix scaffold containing a continuous lattice-structured cavity and subsequent high-pressure injection of a Zr-based glass-forming liquid into the scaffold. Our results demonstrate that the as-produced composites reinforced with 30 vol% MG in the form of a body-centered-cubic lattice possess excellent mechanical properties. Remarkably, the plasticity is higher than those of some particle-reinforced stainless-steel composites and most conventional ex situ MG matrix composites. The enhanced performances mainly arise from the well-designed structure, good combination of the hard MG and soft stainless steel, and their mutual reinforcement mechanism. This study not only reveals a new class of composites reinforced with lattice-structured MG that overcome the limitation of MG reinforcement, rendering it suitable for reinforcing high-melting-point materials, but also provides a novel design concept and fabrication approach that could be extended to other alloy systems for achieving improved mechanical properties.

Effect of Ti–Cu alloy's composition on microstructure and performance of carbon fiber reinforced TiC-based composites prepared by alloyed reactive melt infiltration

In order to improve the strength and toughness of ceramic matrix composites, carbon fiber reinforced TiC-based composites modified with Cu based alloys were fabricated by alloyed reactive melt infiltration method using Ti27Cu73, TiCu and Ti2Cu alloys as infiltrators. The effects of Cu content on the composite's microstructure, mechanical strength and tribological properties were respectively investigated. The as-produced composites were mainly composed of C, TiC, Cu and Ti–Cu phases. With the decrease of Cu content in the infiltrated alloys, more TiC matrix was produced in the composites. The composites prepared with the infiltrators with high Cu contents exhibited enhanced mechanical properties. The composites prepared by Ti27Cu73 alloy owned the largest strength of 294.73 ± 23.91 MPa, while the composites prepared by TiCu alloy had the best fracture toughness of 14.36 ± 1.42 MPa m1/2. The as-produced composites exhibited good wear resistance. A Cu based friction layer was observed on the friction trace due to the introduction of Cu based alloy matrix into the composites, which greatly improved the abrasive performance.

Influence of Cu content on the microstructure and mechanical property of Ti3SiC2/Cu composites

Ti3SiC2/Cu composites with different Cu content were prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) process in vacuum and the effect of Cu content on the microstructure and mechanical property was investigated. The axial displacement, temperature and current of the composites during the sintering process were recorded and discussed. The phase compositions of the original Ti3SiC2 and Cu powder before and after ball-milling, and the as-produced composites were studied by XRD analysis. The surface morphology and fracture surface of the composites were investigated by SEM. The influence of Cu content on the relative density, hardness and compressive strength of the composites was inquired. The results discovered that the phase composition of Ti3SiC2/Cu composites varied with the content of Cu. The phase composition of the Ti3SiC2/5 vol% Cu composite was composed of Ti3SiC2, Ti5Si3 and Cu3Si, while that of Ti3SiC2/10 vol% Cu composite and Ti3SiC2/15 vol% Cu composite contained TiC, besides Ti3SiC2, Ti5Si3 and Cu3Si. Moreover, the relative density of all Ti3SiC2/Cu composites was relatively high (≥93%). With the increase of Cu content, the axial displacement, hardness and compressive strength of the Ti3SiC2/Cu composites increased. Conclusively, the Ti3SiC2/Cu composite with 15 vol% Cu exhibited better mechanical properties.

Tough and wear-resistant carbon fiber reinforced TiC-based composite prepared by alloyed melt infiltration at low temperatures

To improve the toughness and friction properties of carbon fiber reinforced ceramic matrix composite, a Cu alloy modified carbon fiber reinforced TiC based ceramic matrix composite was designed and prepared by TiCu alloy melt infiltration at low temperatures up to 1100 °C. The as-produced composite was mainly composed of carbon, TiC, Ti 3 Cu 4 , TiCu 4 and Cu phases. Due to the ductile Cu alloy introduced into the matrix, the composite showed good mechanical performance especially the fracture toughness. The flexural strength reached about 248.36 MPa while the fracture toughness was up to 15.78 MPa·m 1/2 . The high toughness of the composite was mainly attributed to the fiber bridging, fiber pull-out, interface debonding, crack propagation and deflection. The tribological performance of the as-produced composite was measured using SiC and 440C stainless steel balls as counterparts, respectively. The as-prepared composite exhibited good wear resistance and the wear mechanism was discussed based on the microstructural observations.

TiO2@ZnFe2O4 heterojunctions for effecicent photocatalytic degradation of persistent pollutants and hydrogen evolution

Designing and fabricating the double-capability photocatalysts with the capability of producing hydrogen from the splitting of water and degrading environmental organic pollutants under visible light irradiation are significant in environmental treatment and new energy preparation. As a proof of concept, TiO2@ZnFe2O4 heterojunctions with high performance and stability were prepared by a one-step hydrothermal method, in which TiO2 nanosheets successfully grew on the main body of ZnFe2O4 nanorods. The microstructures and morphologies of the as-produced composites as well as their photocatalytic hydrogen generation rate and photocatalytic degradation performances towards humic acid, florfeniol, tetracyclines, and bisphenol A were investigated. The results indicate that TiO2@ZnFe2O4 heterojunctions possessed the higher photocatalytic activities towards hydrogen production and contaminants degradation ability than that of only TiO2 and ZnFe2O4. Especially, TiO2@ZnFe2O4 heterojunctions with the molar ratio of 1:4 have the best activities and manifest good stability. Significant enhancement of visible light absorption and photogenerated charge separation of TiO2@ZnFe2O4 were achieved. This work paves a way to construct a low-cost, environment-friendly, recyclable, and non-poisonous photocatalysts for hydrogen generation and the degradation of pollutants.

Ultrasound-assisted wet-impregnation of Ag–Co nanoparticles on cellulose nanofibers: Enhanced catalytic hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol

In this study, a novel nanocomposite of bimetallic Ag–Co nanoparticles supported on cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) was synthesised using the ultrasound-assisted wet-impregnation method for catalytic applications. CNFs were prepared from cellulose acetate using the electrospinning technique. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the successful synthesis of CNFs. Further, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) revealed a uniform dispersion of Ag and Co metals on the CNFs. At the same time, X-Ray diffraction (XRD) spectra indicated the highly crystalline nature of the as-produced composite. The hydrogenation of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) was used to study the efficiency of the synthesised nanocomposite. The progress of the reaction was examined via UV–visible spectroscopy. It was noted that Ag-Co nanoparticles supported on CNFs catalysed the hydrogenation of 4-NP (0.1 mM) to 4-aminophenol within just 110 s with an apparent rate constant of 0.0172 s−1. This study proved that the obtained catalysts have superior stability and reusability with about 100% conversion up to 5 cycles. The excellent activity of the as-synthesised Ag-Co/CNFs nanocomposites makes it a promising nanocatalyst for catalytic applications.

Preparation of natural bio-based Eucommia ulmoides gum/styrene-butadiene rubber composites and the evaluation of their damping and sound absorption properties

To achieve effective sound absorption in wide frequency bands under high pressures, Eucommia ulmoides gum (EUG) as one of the natural biopolymers was incorporated into styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) to prepare sound absorption materials. The morphology, crystalline structure, and macro-performance (damping, sound absorption, and mechanical properties) of the as-produced composites were systemically investigated. When the EUG content was less than 30 phr, the EUG was dispersed in the SBR matrix as nanocrystallites primarily existed in the β-crystal form, which is demonstrated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) and polarizing microscope (POM). The dynamic mechanical thermal analyzer (DMA) results expressed that EUG had two dynamic mechanical loss peaks, i.e. the glass transition peak (Peak 1, -60–40°C) and melting transition peak (Peak 2, 30–60°C). Thus, the addition of EUG improved the damping performance of the composites in high-temperature areas to some extent. Moreover, in comparison to the neat SBR, the average sound absorption coefficient of SBR/EUG (70/30) composite increased by 24.23% in the frequency range of 3–8 kHz under 2.5 MPa, which show the excellent sound absorption properties. And since the EUG nanocrystallites played the role of physical crosslingking points, the SBR/EUG (70/30) composite also had outstanding comprehensive mechanical properties. The SBR/EUG composites may be applied to underwater sound absorption materials.

Preparation and characterization of wood-plastic composite by utilizing a hybrid compatibilizer system

The challenge to improve the interface in wood-plastic composite (WPC) has continued to remain a major setback in the field of wood technology. In this work, a novel hybrid compatibilizer system was developed. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) waste and low-density polyethylene were used as a reinforcing lignocellulosic material and matrix, respectively. Maleic anhydride grafted polyethylene octene elastomer (MPOE), octadecyl organically modified montmorillonite (OMMT) and their combinations were used as compatibilizers. The as-produced composites were characterized for their mechanical and physical properties using the SEM, FTIR, and mechanical testing. The result shows a significant increase in tensile strength of about 41.46 % when a mixture of MPOE and OMMT were used as compatibilizers. Moreover, the addition of MPOE led to the improvement of the impact strength by 26.89 %. Thus, the utilization of both compatibilizers offers an efficient route to improve the interaction and mechanical properties of WPC.

Effect of interfacial residual thermal stress on the fracture behavior of Cf/B4C composites prepared by spark plasma sintering

Carbon fiber reinforced boron carbide (Cf/B4C) composites were fabricated with different Cfs contents by spark plasma sintering (SPS). The interfacial residual thermal stress (RTS) distribution in the Cf/B4C composites and its effects on the fracture behavior of the composites was investigated based on Raman spectroscopy and finite-element (FE) calculation. The results show that the maximum RTS of Cf in as-produced composites were obtained at the edge of fibers. The B4C matrix among fibers suffered a high compressive and tensile RTS simultaneously in radial and tangential directions, which caused the formation of micro-cracks and became the origin of fracture failure of the Cf/B4C composites. The maximum relative density 98.7% and bending strength of 391.41 MPa were obtained when the Cf content was 2.5% while the maximum fracture toughness of 5.46 MPa·m1/2 at 5% Cf content of Cf/B4C sample. The sharp decreases of bending strength when increasing content of Cf cloth was mainly caused by high RTS in the composites.

Facile synthesis, microstructure and photophysical properties of core-shell nanostructured (SiCN)/BN nanocomposites

Increasing structural complexity at nanoscale can permit superior control over photophysical properties in the precursor-derived semiconductors. We demonstrate here the synthesis of silicon carbonitride (SiCN)/boron nitride (BN) nanocomposites via a polymer precursor route wherein the cobalt polyamine complexes used as the catalyst, exhibiting novel composite structures and photophysical properties. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy (HRTEM) analysis shows that the diameters of SiCN−BN core−shell nanocomposites and BN shells are 50‒400 nm and 5‒25 nm, respectively. BN nanosheets (BNNSs) are also observed with an average sheet size of 5‒15 nm. The photophysical properties of these nanocomposites are characterized using the UV-Vis and photoluminescence (PL) analyses. The as-produced composites have emission behavior including an emission lifetime of 2.5 ns (±20 ps) longer observed in BN doped SiCN than that seen for SiC nanoparticles. Our results suggest that the SiCN/BN nanocomposites act as semiconductor displaying superior width photoluminescence at wavelengths spanning the visible to near-infrared (NIR) spectral range (400‒700 nm), owing to the heterojunction of the interface between the SiC(N) nanowire core and the BN nanosheet shell.

Evolution of the microstructure and mechanical properties of Mg-matrix in situ composites during spark plasma sintering

Biomedical Mg-matrix in situ composites were fabricated from Mg and ZnO powder via ball mixing and spark plasma sintering. XRD analysis indicated that in situ reactions occurred during sintering process producing MgO, Zn and Mg–Zn intermetallic compounds. The formation of in situ products strongly contributed to the enhancement of the strength and the ductility of the fabricated composites compared with pure Mg. Specifically, the highest strength at 380 MPa was observed in the Mg-20 wt-% ZnO composite, and the highest failure strain at 12.9% was achieved in the Mg-5 wt-% composite compared with the 156 MPa strength and the 10.2% failure strain of pure Mg. In addition, the strengths of as-produced composites are as double as that of cortical bones. With these superior mechanical properties, the fabricated composites are considered as very potential candidate for biomedical load-bearing applications.

Electromagnetic properties of graphene nanoplatelets/epoxy composites

Results of broadband dielectric spectroscopy of epoxy resin composites containing graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) are presented in a wide temperature range (25–500 K). The as-produced composites were heated at temperatures above the epoxy glass transition and subsequently cooled down to room temperature. This annealing was proved to be a simple but powerful process to improve significantly the electromagnetic properties of the GNP-based composites. The dc conductivity of epoxy filled with 4 wt% GNP is 68 times higher after annealing. Another benefit of the annealing is to lower substantially the percolation threshold, from 2.3 wt% for as-produced samples to 1.4 wt%. In composites above the percolation threshold, the electrical conductivity is the result of tunneling between GNP clusters. For a given GNP concentration, the tunnel barrier decreases after annealing.

Effect of in situ reactions on the mechanical properties of biodegradable Mg-matrix composite

Event Abstract Back to Event Effect of in situ reactions on the mechanical properties of biodegradable Mg-matrix composite Nguyen Cao1, Equo Kobayashi1 and Tatsuo Sato2* 1 Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Metallurgy and Ceramics Science, Japan 2 Tokyo Institute of Technology, Professor Emeritus, Japan Introduction: Biodegradable Mg-matrix composites with high specific strength, biocompatibility and biodegradability emerged as very potential candidates for implant applications. In the recent years, researchers paid a great attention on development of biodegradable Mg-matrix composites. However, the as-produced composites still exhibit limited mechanical properties[1],[2]. In this research, Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) technique was employed for fabricating high mechanical property Mg-matrix in situ composites for temporary implant applications. Materials and Methods: High purity Mg and ZnO powders were used for ball mixing with various mass ratios, Mg-5 mass% ZnO, Mg-10 mass% ZnO, Mg-20 mass% ZnO and Mg-50 mass% ZnO. Mg-50 mass% ZnO powders were sintered by SPS at 450, 500 and 550 oC for 30 minutes in order to investigate the composition and microstructure evolution during in situ reactions. Pure Mg, Mg-5 mass% ZnO, Mg-10 mass% ZnO and Mg-20 mass% ZnO powders were sintered at 550 oC for 30 minutes for mechanical property evaluation. Results and Discussion: As shown in figure 1, XRD patterns of Mg-50 mass% ZnO composites sintered at 450, 500 and 550 oC indicated that there were several in situ reactions occurred during sintering process as following equations[3]: From 450 to 500 oC, Mg(s) + ZnO(s) → MgO(s) + Zn(l) From 500 to 550oC, Mg(s) + Zn(l) → Mg-Zn(l) And during cooling, Mg-Zn(l) → Mg(s) + MgxZny(s) Where the subscripts s and l refer to solid and liquid phases respectively, while MgxZny refers to MgZn, Mg2Zn3 and Mg7Zn3. Figure 2 shows compression stress-strain curves of pure Mg, Mg-5 mass% ZnO, Mg-10 mass% ZnO and Mg-20 mass% ZnO composites sintered at 550 oC. As could be seen that, Mg-matrix in situ composites exhibited not only much higher compression strengths but also higher strains at failure compared to those of pure Mg. Specifically, the highest strength at 380 MPa was observed in Mg-20 mass% ZnO composite, and the highest failure strain at 12.9% was achieved in Mg-5 mass% composite compared to 156 MPa strength and 10.2% failure strain of pure Mg 10.2%. These improvements in the strength and ductility of the composites are attributed as the positive effects of in situ reaction products, which act as reinforcements increasing both strength and ductility. As indicated from XRD analysis, there were liquid phases of Zn and Mg-Zn intermetallics formed from in situ reactions during sintering. These liquid phases created well bonding of both Mg particles-reinforcements and Mg-Mg particles resulting in improvement of both strength and failure strain of the composites. In other words, the formation of liquid in situ products strongly contributed to the enhancement of strength and ductility of the fabricated composites compared to pure Mg. Further comparison between as-produced composites and cortical bones indicated that the strength of the composites are much higher than that of cortical bones (100-230MPa)[4]. Conclusion: With the effect of in situ reactions, ultimate compression strengths and failure strains of the composites were significantly improved compared to those of pure Mg. The fabricated composites also have much higher compression strength than that of cortical bones. These make as-synthesized composites become very potential candidate for temporary implant applications.

Characterization of Al Metal Matrix Composites Produced by the Stir-Casting Method

Composite materials which main constituent part is a metal are called Metal Matrix Composites (MMCs). The other compounds may be metals too, ceramics or even organics. They are well known for their excellent thermo-physical and mechanical properties. Reinforcement is used to improve different properties of the main material, such as wear resistance, hardness, fatigue resistance, friction coefficient, thermal conductivity and others. As a result, during the last years, MMCs have found a lot of application in automobile industry for the production of brakes and parts of engines and in aerospace industry for the production of structural components, as well as in electrical and electronic industry and in many other applications. MMCs can be produced by many ways, such as, powder blending and consolidation, foil diffusion bonding, electroplating, spray deposition, stir-casting and others. In this research stir-casting was used as processing technique for the production of Aluminum matrix composites reinforced by ceramic particles and iron. The morphologies of the produced composite materials were examined using optical and SEM microscopy. The compositions of their micro structural features were determined by EDX spectroscopy. The phases formed were determined by XRD techniques. In the tribological tests, under dry wear conditions, the as-produced composites materials showed significant increased resistance to wear compared to pure Al metal.

Microstructure and tensile properties of Sn–1Cu lead-free solder alloy produced by directional solidification

Cu6Sn5 fiber reinforced Sn in situ composites with a nominal composition Sn–1Cu (wt%) were produced by specially controlled directional solidification using a laboratory-scale Bridgman furnace equipped with a liquid metal cooling (LMC) device. The microstructure of as-produced composites was characterized by using optical microscopy (OM), electron microscopy (SEM) and microanalysis (EDX). The tensile strength and plasticity at room temperature were examined by tensile tests. The microstructure observation showed that the microstructure consisted of β-Sn matrix and fiber-like Cu6Sn5 intermetallics compounds (IMCs). For a constant temperature gradient (12Kmm−1), it was found that the spacing between Cu6Sn5 fibers and diameter of single crystalline Cu6Sn5 fiber were mainly controlled by the solidification rate (V), and both of them decreased with increasing solidification rate. The strength was dominated by the Cu6Sn5 fiber alignment, such as the spacing and diameter. Thus the tensile tests results have been correlated to fiber spacing (λ) and diameter (d), since fiber growth has prevailed along all obtained Sn–1Cu samples. It was found that the ultimate tensile strength (UTS) and yield tensile stress (YS) initially increased with increasing solidification rate which ranged from 5 to 60μms−1, and decreased with further increasing solidification rate, such as 100μms−1. In contrast, the elongation (EL) decreased with increasing solidification rate due to the increased amount Cu6Sn5 IMC quantity.

Investigation into microstructure and mechanical properties of NiAl-Mo composites produced by directional solidification

Abstract Mo fiber reinforced NiAl in situ composites with a nominal composition Ni-43.8Al-9.5Mo (at.%) were produced by specially controlled directional solidification using a laboratory-scale Bridgman furnace equipped with a liquid metal cooling (LMC) device. The microstructure of as-produced composites was characterized by electron microscopy (SEM, TEM, HRTEM) and microanalysis (EDX, SAED). The strength and plasticity at elevated temperatures (700 °C, 1100 °C) were examined by tensile tests. The fracture toughness at room temperature (RT) was measured by four-point bending tests. For a constant temperature gradient (8.9 K/mm) it was found that the alignment and size/spacing of single crystalline Mo fibers were mainly controlled by the solidification rate. When the solidification rate decreased from 1.33 mm/min to 0.33 mm/min the Mo fibers arranged themselves gradually from an initially irregular distribution to an alignment parallel to the solidification direction. The strength at elevated temperatures and the fracture toughness at RT were dominated by the Mo fiber alignment: the yield strength of the composites increased from 273 MPa at 700 °C and 68 MPa at 1100 °C for a random Mo fiber arrangement to 811 MPa at 700 °C and 344 MPa at 1100 °C for well aligned Mo fibers. The fracture toughness at RT was also apparently improved from 8.7 MPa m0.5 to 14.5 MPa m0.5 upon Mo fiber alignment. The influence of Mo fiber alignment on the mechanical properties of as-produced NiAl-Mo composites will be discussed in terms of the active strengthening and toughening mechanisms.

Enhancing thermal conductivity of glass fiber/polymer composites through carbon nanotubes incorporation

Carbon nanotubes were effectively incorporated into low-viscosity polyester/vinyl ester resins and then used for infusion of glass fiber textiles by high-pressure injection, resulting in carbon nanotubes/glass fiber/polymer multiscale composites. The nanotubes distribution in the composites was examined by measuring the local density of as-produced composites. The uniformity of local density and scanning electron microscope characterization verified the homogeneous morphology of as-produced composites. Both theoretical calculation and experimental characterization indicated thermal conductivity was significantly improved. Incorporation of 3 wt% carbon nanotubes has resulted in 1.5-folds enhancement of thermal conductivity. These results will further increase industrial application of the fiber composites.

Oxidation analysis of 2D C/ZrC–SiC composites with different coating structures in CH 4 combustion gas environment

2D C/ZrC–SiC composites were fabricated by chemical vapor infiltration combined with polymer slurry infiltration and pyrolysis. Liquid highly branched polycarbosilane was used as the pre-ceramic precursor. In order to improve the oxidation resistance, three kinds of coating structures were prepared on C/ZrC–SiC composites: pure zirconium carbide coating, SiC–ZrC coating, and ZrB 2–SiC coating. Structural evolutions of the as-produced composites after oxidation in CH 4 combustion gas atmosphere at about 1800 °C were investigated and compared. Based on a model of the oxidation process, the mixture ZrB 2–CVD SiC showed the best oxidation resistance.

Ceramic and Glass Matrix Composites Containing Carbon Nanotubes

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are promising reinforcing elements for structural composites due to their remarkable mechanical properties. The impressive electrical and thermal properties of this new form of carbon also make CNTs containing composites ideal candidates for multifunctional applications. In the past decade, researchers have investigated CNTs as toughening inclusions to overcome the intrinsic brittleness of ceramics and glasses. Although there are numerous investigations available in the literature, a significant progress has not occurred or it has been rather slow compared to advances in the field of CNT/polymer matrix composites. This paper reviews current trends in research and development efforts on the use of CNTs for fabrication of ceramic and glass matrix composite materials. The review includes a summary of key issues related to the optimisation of CNT-based composites and an overview of investigations dealing with processing techniques developed to optimise dispersion quality, interfaces and density. The mechanical properties of as-produced composites are discussed and a comprehensive comparison of data available for different matrix materials is presented. Finally, the potential applications of the resulting CNT/inorganic matrix composites and the scope for future developments in the field are highlighted.