Nanocarbon/epoxy composites: Preparation, properties, and applications

The end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st might be indubitably called the era of composite materials. Among many matrices, the epoxy resins have been significantly successful and are commonly used due to their favorable mechanical (high tensile strength and stiffness), electrical, thermal, and chemical properties. New fillers enable the further extent of their performances, adding new features, for example biocompatibility, and enabling the elimination of drawbacks such as low electrical conductivity, toughness, and impact resistance or susceptibility to microcracks. Although epoxy exhibits enhanced properties with many fillers, such as iron, iron oxide nanoparticles, polyaniline, nanoclay, silica, zinc oxide, silicon carbide, and alumina, the carbon nanofillers seem to be the most promising ones. They include a significant number of different structures and additives, leading to an enormous set of versatile materials and their derivatives or functionalized modifications. It will likely surprise no one to note the constantly growing interest in this domain. From substantial scientific papers up to the firmly based industrial production, the nanocarbon/epoxy composites [1] will probably continue to surprise us for years to come. Within this short chapter, the general overview of the subject is presented together with the most important issues to be resolved.