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Article: Curing behavior and structure of an epoxy/clay nanocomposite system.
- Article from:
- Polymer Engineering and Science
- Article date:
- September 1, 2006
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2006 Society of Plastics Engineers, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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INTRODUCTION
A method to improve the physical properties of a polymer is the addition of reinforcing particles or fibers to the polymer to form composite materials. Owing to the development of high-strength and light-weight fibers, such as carbon fiber and silicon carbide fiber, the fiber-reinforced composites have been widely used. The recent development of polymer nanocomposites containing nanometer scale fillers, such as layered silicates or carbon nanotubes, provides a new promising opportunity in composite materials [1-3].
Layered materials are well suited for the design of hybrid composites, because their lamellar elements have high in-plane ...