Thursday, September 4, 2008

Nanotechnology Products

You might be surprised to find out how many products on the market are already benefiting from nanotechnology.

  • Sunscreen - Many sunscreens contain nanoparticles of zinc oxide or titanium oxide. Older sunscreen formulas use larger particles, which is what gives most sunscreens their whitish color. Smaller particles are less visible, meaning that when you rub the sunscreen into your skin, it doesn't give you a whitish tinge.
  • Self-cleaning glass - A company called Pilkington offers a product they call Activ Glass, which uses nanoparticles to make the glass photocatalytic and hydrophilic. The photocatalytic effect means that when UV radiation from light hits the glass, nanoparticles become energized and begin to break down and loosen organic molecules on the glass (in other words, dirt). Hydrophilic means that when water makes contact with the glass, it spreads across the glass evenly, which helps wash the glass clean.
  • Clothing - Scientists are using nanoparticles to enhance your clothing. By coating fabrics with a thin layer of zinc oxide nanoparticles, manufacturers can create clothes that give better protection from UV radiation. Some clothes have nanoparticles in the form of little hairs or whiskers that help repel water and other materials, making the clothing stain-resistant.
  • Scratch-resistant coatings - Engineers discovered that adding aluminum silicate nanoparticles to scratch-resistant polymer coatings made the coatings more effective, increasing resistance to chipping and scratching. Scratch-resistant coatings are common on everything from cars to eyeglass lenses.
  • Antimicrobial bandages - Scientist Robert Burrell created a process to manufacture antibacterial bandages using nanoparticles of silver. Silver ions block microbes' cellular respiration . In other words, silver smothers harmful cells, killing them.
  • Swimming pool cleaners and disinfectants - EnviroSystems, Inc. developed a mixture (called a nanoemulsion) of nano-sized oil drops mixed with a bactericide. The oil particles adhere to bacteria, making the delivery of the bactericide more efficient and effective.

11 comments:

Unknown said...

Ankit i would like to know that will this technology really be so useful and will be implemented in so many ways ?

Unknown said...

Hearing from the last a year or so bout the MEMS.... but no new researches heard or read till now.....

bhupendra deshmukh said...

I would like to know that will this technology really be so useful and will be implemented in so many ways or just................. Do reply me at my mail anurodhsrkr5@gmail.com It will be very helpful to me regarding My project research.....

ANKIT VORA said...

dear bhupendra..
mems is commercial concept and in fact many devices like mems accelerometer, pressure sensor, micromirror are commercially available. so mems is a concept that has been implemented and used.

whereas nano is growing. its now available commercially. but not as mems, just because of the fact that its growing and new concept whereas mems is around 15-20 years old.

keep posting your doubts and queries

ankit vora

asif ali said...

i would like to knw that, sunglasses having nano-coatings are commercial. so what would happen if/ or whats the probability that the coating will vanish after some time due to wear and tear, as the coating is of nano particles, so i dont think that it will last longer.

ANKIT VORA said...

well asif, i would like to tell that the coating is of nano-composite particles, but the actual coating is not of nano thin layer. its quite think.

and the actual coating on the surface do depend on the type of use.
if wear n tear is more, definitely we will require different kind off coating.

asif ali said...

a heard something regarding silvernano, but then i came to know that its also harmfull to us also, as it directly kills every knndoff bacteria it comes in contact, so its quite dangerous for our body also. so just suggest me some good literature for this.

Unknown said...

Good yaar, its really great to know that the application of the nanotechnology is also useful in basic or day today life. Till now i was having the concept that this is something which will take a long time to find application in day today life. Thanks for such an informative stuff.

Anonymous said...

I would like to know that will this technology really be so useful for the concept of sunglasses too and will be implemented in so many ways ? Please do specify the impementation of this technology for sungalsses is at what stage? I am very eagerly waiting for one of these type of sunglasses.

Also do tell me the adv. and disadvantages too..........

asif ali said...

well, i am really impressed with this kind of work, it seems that you are some kind of expert of this. great work

Unknown said...

its really great to know that the application of the nanotechnology is also useful in basic or day today life.
Thanks for such an informative stuff.