Nanotechnology Applications
Materials that exhibit different physical properties resulting from changes at the nanoscale have already opened the door to many new applications. Many of these applications are still in various stages of research, but some are already available commercially.
For example, clothing material has been integrated with nanoparticles to create stain resistant cloth. Auto manufacturers enhanced bumpers with nanocrystals, making them stronger. Color filters and colored lamps have been created by altering the optical properties of a suspension (through varying of the size and shape of the colloidal particles in the solution). Carbon nanotubes have been designed for products such as bike frames and tennis rackets to enhance strength and reduce weight.
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Information and Communications
Nanotechnology has enabled many advances in computer memory, increasing storage size, reducing power consumption, and increasing speed. These three factors will enable sophisticated computer controlled devices in the future.
Materials and Manufacturing
Composite materials are engineered materials which are made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties. Nanotechnology has emerged as a key technology used in fabrication of composite materials.
Biomedical Applications
Biomedical Applications Nanotechnology is expected to have a significant impact on improving the quality of health care through early and reliable diagnostics of diseases, better drugs, targeted drug delivery, improved implants, and other applications. Biosensors – using a combination of nanomaterials, novel device fabrication techniques and advances in signal processing – are being developed for early…
Energy and Environmental Applications
Skyrocketing oil prices, concerns about the environment from increasing greenhouse emissions, and the desire to save the planet from environmental disasters, have turned wide attention to alternative energy sources and to the need to increase the energy efficiency of the systems we use today.
Transportation Applications
One of the major contributions that nanotechnology can make in the transportation sector is lighter weight and high strength composite materials (“composites”) for the construction of airplanes and automobiles.
Consumer Goods Applications
Consumer Goods Applications Nanotechnology is emerging from the science laboratory into the marketplace, and is used today in the design and manufacturing of many commercial devices and systems. Among the fields affected by nanotechnology are medical and environmental applications, food production and processing, energy (storage, conversion and saving), information and communication, and improvements to textile and automotive products.…