Book Preface
Research and Innovation in
Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites
Release date: 30, December 2015 | ISBN: 978-0-9889190-1-3 | Editor: Brahim Attaf | Publisher: The World Academic Publishing Co., Ltd
In this modern era of astonishing progress and rapid evolution in materials science, fibre-reinforced composite materials are among the key drivers for the development of many structural components and technical devices that have improved and continue to improve the comfort and quality of human life. In this context, advances in nanotechnology have led to the development of new class of composite materials based on carbon nanotube (CNT): a hollow cylinder with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132x106:1, obtained by rolling up a single sheet of graphene. As a result of this astonishing discovery, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWTs) and multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) with different chirality and geometry (e.g. zigzag, armchair and chiral) are intended to play an important role in the design and manufacturing of future products likely to be used in a variety of high performance applications ranging from engineering to medicine, where some CNTs can behave effectively as metals and others as semi-conductors.
With this perspective in mind, the wide-ranging potential use of these smart materials is believed to be related to the ultra-high-performance fibres in terms of stiffness and strength coupled with extra-light weight, as well as to the spectacular inherent mechanical, electrical, thermal, chemical and optical properties. These core objectives have enabled the creation of intelligent materials leading to the design and manufacture of innovative products at the nanometric scale that are intended to become a real device used in our daily life!
It is in this light that the idea of the book project was launched, aiming to learn about the latest scientific achievements and provide readers worldwide access to research developments within these miraculous and smart materials that will undoubtedly revolutionize in the coming years the worldwide market of polymer nanocomposites. Following this trend, chapters proposed by contributors involve innovation, address new solutions and provide an overview of recent research activities on the application of CNTs for the development of new and innovative materials, products and devices.
I hope that the variety of these chapters will stimulate future research activities, strengthen technology transfer, promote the dissemination of results and respond concretely to the sustainable development principles and circular economy strategy.
I am very pleased to have this opportunity to edit this important book of nanoscience and nanotechnology, successfully achieved through collaboration of several authors with different chapters as described above. So, I would like to thank all of them for their remarkable contributions in their areas of expertise and their best research work. I also appreciate the resulting synergy between theory and practice coming from different regions of the world. Of course, without this rich variety of contributions on this complex and constantly growing subject area, the existence of the book titled “Research and Innovation in Carbon Nanotube-Based Composites” would not have been possible.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge the help given by AMSA-WAP staff, especially Ms. Ariel Huang for her assistance and support during the preparation of this book.
December 2015
Dr. Brahim Attaf
CMS Ecotechnology
Marseille
France