Mineral-Filled Polymer Composites

Book excerpt: Mineral-filled polymer composites are increasingly used for various applications, including automotive, construction, biomedical, maritime, sport and ballistic, due to the advantages of low cost, light weight, excellent rigidity and high mechanical strength. One of two volumes comprising the Mineral-Filled Polymer Composites Handbook, this volume provides an overview of the latest research, trends, applications and future directions of advanced mineral fiber-reinforced polymer composites. It focuses specifically on material selection, processing and applications. This book: Emphasizes the principles governing the behavior of mineral-filled composite materials in the field of engineering and their applications Covers systematic material selection tools such as analytical hierarchy process (AHP), analytical network process (ANP), and technique of ranking preferences by similarity of the ideal solution (TOPSIS) Reviews the use of these materials for various engineering applications Features chapters looking at fabrication techniques and frictional properties Details current research in polymer nanocomposites and particulate polymer composites This book serves as an excellent reference guide for researchers, advanced students, academics and industry professionals interested in the synthesis of mineral-filled polymer and biopolymer composites, as well as those pursuing research in the broad fields of composite materials, polymers, organic/inorganic hybrid materials and nano-assembly.