Preface

A polymer composite is a three-dimensional combination of at least an organic or inorganic filler dispersed in a continuous or co-continuous phase of an individual polymer or a polymeric blend. The presence of polymers as well as fillers in different blends may be wisely utilized in different combinations to overcome the limitations of the individual components toward achieving the required characteristics of industrial products. The ability to achieve a set of desired characteristics such as mechanical, chemical, physical, electrical, electrochemical, biological, etc., suiting the needs, processability, dimensional stability, thermal, cost, and so on has allowed polymeric composites to be used in a wide range of industrial applications such as construction, packaging, tissue engineering, energy storage, sensors, transportation, and so on. The consumption of polymer composites for industrial applications is ever-growing with time. With the advent of upgraded and new technologies related to the preparation of individual components and composites, different combinations of materials have attracted researchers from academia as well as industries. To meet the demand of consumers, new material development as well as finding new applications for the existing materials have become the major focus of industrial research. Several books were published on polymer composites in the last decade with a primary focus on materials, characterization, or any specific area of application. However, it is envisaged that a single book encompassing the knowledge related to polymer composites in different fields of application is unavailable in the market. In this book, the focus is on the recent developments in various major sectors where composite materials are very popular and significantly used. With the rich experience in polymer composites and nanocomposites of the editors, especially in application development, technical services, and new product development, we thought of bringing together authors having expertise in polymer composites in specific industrial domains. The outline of the book encompasses relevant knowledge from an application point of view and represents its diversities in a nutshell. Therefore, we feel the proposed book may attract a broad readership from industry as well as academia.

We thank all the contributors for their generous efforts and cooperation in providing chapters highlighting recent research and findings across the globe. We are thankful to all the authors of the studies cited in the present book. We also like to express our gratitude to the entire team of Bentham Science Publishers for their collaboration, prompt assistance, and patience during the publication of this book.