A method of making a composite material, the method comprising: providing a tile, wherein the tile comprises an inorganic material; and bonding the tile to a ductile backing material using heat-curable adhering material and catalyzed foamable exothermic material between the tile and the ductile backing material, wherein heat generated from the use of the catalyzed foamable exothermic material cures the heat-curable adhering material. In some embodiments, the exotherm from the foaming of the foamable exothermic material cures the heat-curable adhering material for a time sufficient to unite a solid foam body to the heat-curable adhering material of the tile and the ductile backing material. The method is particularly advantageous in bonding a tile composed of nano-particles to a ductile backing material, as it helps retain the nanoscale properties of the nano-particles in the tile.
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