Nanocomposites in context

This paper provides an overview of recent advances in nanocomposites research. The key research opportunities and challenges in the development of structural and functional nanocomposites are addressed in the context of traditional fiber composites. The state of knowledge in processing, characterization, and analysis/modeling of nanocomposites is presented with a particular emphasis on identifying fundamental structure/property relationships. Critical issues in nanocomposites research as well as promising techniques for processing precursors for macroscopic nanocomposites are discussed.