What is claimed is:
1. A nanocomposite produced by the process comprising:
- dissolving
a metal ionsalt in a solvent system to form a metal ion salt solution,
wherein said solvent system is common to said metal ion salt and a
polymer;
- adding an epoxide to said metal ion salt solution to form an epoxide-containing metal ion salt solution;
- dissolving said polymer in said solvent system to form a polymer solution;
- adding
a portion of the polymer solution to the epoxide-containing metal ion
salt solution to form a polymer-containing, epoxide-containing metal
ion salt solution; and
- stirring said a polymer-containing, epoxide-containing metal ion salt solution until said solution gels.
2. The nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 1, further comprising:
- adding
a fuel metal powder to said polymer-containing, epoxide-containing
metal ion salt solution while stirring, wherein said addition of the
fuel metal powder occurs before said polymer-containing,
epoxide-containing metal ion salt solution gels.
3. The nanocomposite recited in claim 1, wherein said metal ion salt is Fe2O3.
4. The nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 1, wherein said polymer is a fluoroelastomer.
5.
The nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 2, wherein
said fluoroelastomer is vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene
copolymer.
6. The nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 4, wherein said flouroelastomer is soluble in said solvent system.
7.
The nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 1, wherein
said solvent system is a mixture of ethanol and acetone.
8. The
nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 2, wherein said
fuel metal powder is Al, Mg, B, Ti, Zr or mixtures thereof.
9. The nanocomposite produced by the process recited in claim 2, wherein said fuel metal powder is ultra fine grain aluminum.
10. A nanocomposite comprising:
- an inorganic sol-gel polymer phase comprising at least one metal-oxide and at least one epoxide; and
- an interpenetrating organic polymer phase entwined in said inorganic sol-gel phase.
11. The nanocomposite recited in claim 10, wherein said inorganic sol-gel polymer phase further comprises:
- A fuel metal powder.
12. The nanocomposite recited in claim 10, wherein said metal oxide is Fe2O3.
13. The nanocomposite recited in claim 10, wherein said polymer is a fluoroelastomer.
14. The nanocomposite recited in claim 13, wherein said fluoroelastomer is vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene copolymer.
15. The nanocomposite recited in claim 11, wherein said fuel metal powder is Al, Mg, B, Ti, Zr or mixtures thereof.
16. The nanocomposite recited in claim 11, wherein said fuel metal powder is ultra fine grain aluminum.
