Nanosilica-reinforced epoxy composites for marine applications

In this chapter, we investigate the effects of nanosilica reinforcement on the performance of epoxies, with the main focus being on the enhanced fracture toughness of epoxies and the mechanisms of such enhancement. In particular, we report findings from recent research into nanosilica-reinforced epoxy composites under marine environments, such as good corrosion protection and wear behavior in sea water. Because of the difficulties of adequate dispersion of nanofillers into epoxy, commercial nanofiller-modified epoxy composites are very rare. However, the epoxy and nanosilica reported in this chapter are commercially available with feasible fabrication methods, making their composites potentially suitable for large-scale marine applications.