Planes that Mimic Birds
Thursday, August 26th, 2010
Planes that Mimic Birds
Aerospace vehicles are currently designed for specific missions, such as space flight, reconnaissance, interdiction and aerial combat. A vehicle designed for one mission will typically have serious constraints for executing other missions. Researchers have been looking at ways to design multi-mission capable vehicles.
The solution of variable sweep wings is an example of a preliminary solution to the problem. The wings change shape to meet changing requirements, trying to mimic birds in flight. However, the existing solution is only a primitive one compared to the birds’ solution.
Things might change dramatically with the new morphing metal technology. Nanotechnology can theoretically work at molecular levels and change the properties of the building blocks of materials. Doing this “on-the-go”, adapting to changes in pressure or temperature for example, can make the materials almost “living materials.”
Wings made of such materials could then unfurl, bend and shape themselves to changing demands, just as bird wings do in flight. Such wings will be able to avoid aerodynamic destabilization caused by varying flight conditions.
Once such morphing technology has been mastered, it will be possible to design air vehicles that can be used for multiple roles, say from passenger or cargo carriage to aerial warfare.
Read the speculative report at Center for Intelligence News Study.
Tags: air vehicles, changing material properties, nanotechnology
Posted in nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 1 Comment »
Nanofiber from Cellulose: Keynote Topic at Nanotech Conference
Wednesday, July 28th, 2010
Nanofibers have a diameter of 100 nanometers or less. Textiles and filters made of nanofibers have better functionality compared to traditional materials. The potential for their applications are wide, as a few illustrative examples below show:
* Medical applications in tissue engineering and artificial organs
* Protective masks against chemical and biological attacks
* Textile applications for different kinds of specialized apparel, including baby diapers
* Filters used in different industries and systems
* Napkins with antibodies against biohazards
Nanofibers can potentially be made to assemble at injury sites and also to self-braid, making them ideas in certain applications.
Nanofibers can be made from different materials, both organic and inorganic. Carbon nanofibers, “ceramic” nanofibers from materials such as silicon dixide and nanofibers from cellulose are examples.
The 2010 International Conference on Nanotechnology for the Forest Products Industry to be held during September 27-29, 2010 at the Dipoli Congress Centre in Espoo, Finland. The conference, which has the theme “Getting Down to Business with Nanotech Products” will have a keynote presentation from Dr. Hiroyuki Yano on the “Potential of Cellulose Nanofiber-Based Materials.” Dr. Yano is a Professor at the Research Institute of Sustainable Humanosphere, Kyoto University, who received a Ph.D. in wood science from the university in 1989.
Read the conference announcement at TAPPI website.
Tags: nanofiber, nanotech conference, nanotechnology
Posted in nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 2 Comments »
Nanotechnology Risks: A Canadian Government Discussion
Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Nanoparticles are particles of matter that are at atomic and molecular levels. Working at these levels, you can modify the characteristics of materials and even develop materials tailored to specific needs. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology whose risks are not completely known. Cases have been reported about nanoparticles used in cosmetics entering the users’ bloodstreams.
The Standing Committee on Health of the Canadian House of Commons produced a document titled Evidence that reported the discussion of a session on understanding nanotechnology, meant for the members of the committee. The discussions focused on the risks posed by the new technology.
The Director, Research and Expertise Support Department, Institut de recherche Robert-Sauvé en santé et en sécurité du travail (IRSST), Mr.Ostiguy, explained that over 1000 products containing nanoparticles are presently available in the market.
He continued that the production processes posed the greatest risks to the workers carrying these out. This group included researchers who develop new products, employees in companies that synthesize the nanoparticles and employees of companies that introduce nanoparticles into their production lines for value addition purposes.
IRSST has researched current scientific knowledge about the risks posed by nanoparticles.
Read the discussion on the risks at Evidence.
Tags: health risks of nanoparticles, nanotechnology, nanotechnology issues
Posted in health risks, nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 2 Comments »
Functional Films Research Centre at Singapore
Friday, June 25th, 2010
Singapore Economic Development Board and Bayer Material Science executives officially opened on June 22nd the new Functional Films Research Centre in Singapore. There is an ever growing demand for the films from the electronics industry in the Asia Pacific region. Customers also expect the films to meet evolving requirements.
The new facility will focus on high-tech films and nanotechnology to meet the growing and evolving demand in the region. Bayer Material Science is one of world’s largest polymer companies and its activities focus on manufacture of high-tech polymer materials. Using material technologies already developed by the company, the new facility will take up joint projects in collaboration with other partners to create technological breakthroughs in electronics.
Examples of possible developments include flexible screens and three-dimensional displays, and nanomaterials like conductive inks used in printed electronics or energy-efficient lighting technologies. The facility was set up with an investment of approximately SGD 12 million (€ 7 million). Additional investments are planned to expand the facilities in the coming years. The facility presently has a staff of 30 researchers and other personnel.
The facility evidences “Singapore’s attractiveness as a strategic base for research & development to meet the fast evolving market needs in Asia and globally,” remarked Dr Beh Swan Gin, Managing Director of Singapore Economic Development Board.
Read the news release at NanoWerk.
Tags: electronics industry, high-tech films, nanotechnology
Posted in nanomaterials, nanotechnology | No Comments »
Nanotechnology and the Environment
Saturday, June 19th, 2010
While the use of nanotechnology in food and medicine is viewed with some apprehension because of the possibility of unexpected dangers, clean energy is one area where its use is seen as highly promising. Nanomaterials and nanocoatings are considered to offer promising opportunities for energy-related applications such as batteries, supercapacitors, fuel-cells, hydrogen-storage, thermoelectrics and photovoltaics.
The Nano4Energy conference being organized by Nanotechnology Knowledge Transfer Network (NanoKTN) at the University of Birmingham will focus on the potential of nanotechnology for clean energy. The conference, to be held on June 30, 2010, will see representatives from Nissan and the Carbon Trust discussing the role of nanotechnology in clean energy solutions.
Reviewing new developments in nanotechnology related to energy generation and energy storage will be a focus area. In particular, new technologies nearing commercialization will be featured at the conference, as will be the companies leading clean energy solutions.
Success in this area requires adequate networking and interactions among the players constituting the supply chain and the conference will provide a forum for industry professionals and academics to discuss the developments and issues.
The representative of Nissan Europe will discuss their new 100% Electric, zero emission, compact car that is expected to push the boundaries of clean energy transport. Another participant, Nanoco, will discuss the use of quantum dots in the manufacture of high efficiency, low-cost solar cells.
Read the release about the conference at the Material Handling World magazine.
Tags: clean energy, clean energy solutions, energy generation, energy storage, nanotechnology
Posted in energy generation, energy storage, nano batteries, nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 1 Comment »
New Hard Disk Drive Research Facility
Thursday, June 10th, 2010
A new international research hub at ANSIN, Queens University Belfast, has received £7.5 million worth of equipment from Seagate Technologies. Seagate will partner the hub in developing new levels of information and data storage, and the hub also expects to attract a variety of international companies who will do research in the areas of new medical sensors, security devices and many other applications.
The facility will be based in the School of Mathematics and Physics at Queen’s. The ANSIN facility will enable working with materials from micron scale, i.e. 50 times smaller than the width of human hair, down to layers a few atoms thick.
The first IBM PC/XTs had bulky hard disks that had a capacity of 10MB. At the time writing this, news comes about Hitachi releasing 320GB 7mm high 2.5-inch hard disks. With further advances, you might soon be able to carry a whole library of reading, listening and viewing material in your pocket!
Advances like these require new materials and using them in ways that people have not yet thought of. That is the kind of research the ANSIN facility hopes to make possible. The equipment provided by Seagate can be used by other companies joining the research effort. ANSIN hopes this will bring in new ideas and produce great new inventions.
Read the news release at SiliconRepublic.
Tags: data storage, hard disk capacity, information technology, nanotechnology
Posted in information technology, nanomaterials, nanotechnology | No Comments »
UAE Looks at Nanotechnology in Food Industry
Monday, May 31st, 2010
The Food Safety and Animal Health Division of Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority (ADFCA) in UAE is getting interested in the potential and dangers of nanotechnology in food. Nanotech had promised fantastic things in the food sector, among other sectors. For example, claims were being made that using a process similar to microwave cooking, the technology can convert a tasteless and colorless drink into one tasting like coke, fruit juice or ginger beer, depending on the preference of the user.
Nanotechnology can change not only the taste but also the nutritional value and other properties of food, according to these claims. However, the claims are muted now as people began to look at possible dangers. Nanotech works at the levels of a billionth of a meter and nanomaterials can permeate human cells. Who knows what it can do to our DNA?
The potential of nanotechnology is not doubted. It can affect every stage of the food industry from production to final sale to consumers, according to a report published by a Canadian technology watchdog. However, experts are also becoming aware of potential dangers. Cosmetics using nanomaterials have entered human bloodstream and the cosmetic industry is observing a self-imposed ban on using such materials.
A study at University of California (UCLA) School of Public Health study indicated that the nanomaterial, nano-titanium dioxide, was damaging the DNA of mice. These and other developments have raised concerns about the safety aspects of nanotechnology. The UAE government has decided to keep a close watch on the emerging findings.
Read more at Khaleej Times
Posted in nanoethics, nanomaterials | 1 Comment »
Energy Efficiency Using a Wasted Property of Electrons
Friday, May 28th, 2010
Electrical energy is presently obtained by utilizing the difference between positively and negatively charged electrons. Electrons have a third property, their spin, or a small magnetic field pointing up or down. This property is not used currently by electrical devices because the devices are too big compared to the nanoscale electrons.
A researcher in Israel is focusing on using the spin information to create energy efficient batteries and to prevent the huge quantities of power that we lose while transmitting electricity through conventional wires. Superconductors can prevent such energy loss; but technology now requires super cool temperatures for superconductors to work. Researchers are hoping that using nanotechnology, they might be able to develop superconducting materials that work at room temperatures.
Today’s solid state disk drives manage to use ordered atoms packed together. When atoms in a material are arranged in an ordered fashion, properties of the material change. Working at nanoscale, it is theoretically possible to design materials with customized properties.
Working at nanoscale is no simple matter, however. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter and you need highly advanced tools like Scanning Electron Microscope to find what is happening at this scale. The Israel research facility has just been equipped with equipment like a Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry, Scanning Electron Microscope and Environmental Scanning Microscope.
Using these advanced facilities, researchers hope to understand how maerial properties change at nanoscale and other issues involved. Read the report at Israel21c.
Tags: energy efficiency, nanotechnology, spin property of electrons, spintronics
Posted in energy generation, energy storage, nano batteries, nanomaterials, nanotechnology | No Comments »
Nanotechnology Resource for Developing Nations
Saturday, May 22nd, 2010
Nanotechnology.Zunia.org is one component of the knowledge exchange databases created by Zunia.org, which itself is part of Development Gateway, a project that works for more effective use of international aid and in other areas that benefit developing countries.
The nanotechnology database discusses emerging applications in the area of nanotechnology so that developing nations can also participate in developing and benefiting from these. The following post at the website illustrates the type of applications you will find discussed there.
Nanotechnology works at nanoscale, which means atomic and molecular levels. Working at these levels, it becomes possible to create new materials and change the properties of existing materials. One material that has important applications is electrically conductive composite materials that will also stretch and bend.
Smart clothing, flexible displays, stretchable circuits, implantable devices and actuators are some of the products that will find a stretchable and conductive material of high value. Carbon nanotubes, a nanomaterial, have superb conductivity. By creating a composite of elastic polymers and carbon nanotubes, it is considered possible to deliver a solution that these products can use.
Read the post at nanotechnology.zunia.org.
Tags: nanomaterials, nanotechnology
Posted in nanomaterials, nanotechnology | 2 Comments »
Where can Nanotechnology Help?
Sunday, May 16th, 2010
Nanotechnology is a field that affects other technologies in a big way. Considering that nanotechnology works at atomic levels, where you can even combine atoms in new ways to build new materials with strange properties or alter the properties of existing materials, it is no wonder that nanotech affects every other technology.
Nanotechnology is only a promise now. It can cause immense damage, say by penetrating our skins and reaching internal organs to damage them, that application developers have to proceed carefully even where something is technically feasible.
Which are the specific areas where nanotechnology might find beneficial applications? Nanomedicine, nanomaterials, nanobiotech and such other terms give a broad indication of the possibilities. Some specific applications in toxic waste treatment, energy and medicine mentioned below can give an idea of the scope of this new technology.
Carbon nanotubes have immense strength and great electrical properties. They can probably solve the problem of electrical power delivery in nanomachines that are the size of cells or smaller. These machines can be used, for example, to work with toxic waste and convert them into harmless substances.
Nanobatteries can possibly deliver perpetual power by generating it from ambient sources such as the small movements we make, and eliminating leakage of stored power, as discussed under posts related to nanotech energy applications in this blog.
Nanorobots can traverse our bloodstreams and deliver drugs at precisely the places they are needed, such as tumor cells. They might even be able to repair damaged cells.
You can visit Bigthink for a big look at the possibilities.
Tags: nanotechnology applications, nanotechnology dangers
Posted in nano batteries, nanomaterials, nanomedicine, nanotechnology | 1 Comment »
