Fiber-reinforced nanocomposites: an introduction

Fiber-reinforced nanocomposites can be prepared in two ways: (1) by using nanofibers to reinforce nanocomposite and (2) by incorporating nanomaterials into fiber-reinforced composites. Recently the multiscale (hierarchical) fiber-reinforced nanocomposites have been developed by using two different reinforcements: fibers (at the microscale) and nanofillers/nanomaterials (at the nanoscale). By the presence of nanofillers in the matrix (i.e., nanocomposite matrix), the stiffness, strength, and thermal properties of composite can be significantly improved. In addition, nanofibers can offer many advantages over other nanoreinforcements due to their continuity and dual nano–macro roles. This chapter introduces how the fibers, nanofibers, and nanomaterials are used to reinforce the composite matrices.