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| CSIRO | SOLVE | Issue 1 Nov 04 | |
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NANOTECHNOLOGY
Designer Molecules
By Helen Eva
Scientists are discovering what is possible when manufacturing is taken down to the molecule level. Ever since the first wheels were honed from stone and wood, manufacturing has essentially been a process of cutting, grinding, milling or casting to give various materials a particular function.
But even the most sophisticated conventional manufacturing process is still very clumsy compared to what scientists are discovering is possible when you take manufacturing down to the molecule level – when you start treating molecules to create or enhance functional materials. This is the new manufacturing frontier – the microscopic world of nanotechnology that is ushering in the next industrial revolution. It has been predicted in the US that nanotechnology will be the basis for new products and services worth more than US$1 trillion in global products and services by 2013. It is where Australian industry must be if it is to be a part of the future, and why it is a high priority for CSIRO scientists at divisions like Manufacturing and Infrastructure Technology (CMIT). Researchers there are already having a big impact on the global manufacturing stage with new generation nanomaterials – materials with components just millionths of a millimetre in size. Cutting-edge nanotechnology at CSIRO has already resulted in plastic-based materials that have unprecedented qualities in areas such as strength, heat resistance, fire retardation, barrier properties and electrical conductivity. Not surprisingly, given the weight of plastics over other materials, they promise to revolutionise the aerospace and automotive industries, as well as shape building and construction, packaging, mining, agriculture, biomedicine and electronics sectors, to name just a few. The high performance qualities of these nanomaterials derive from their nanosized particles (a nano is one billionth smaller than the diameter of a human hair) which significantly enhance the physical and functional properties of polymeric materials and nanocomposites. In other words, it’s not about manufacturing small things, but making big things work a lot better, and with less waste. “Nanotechnology promises more for less: smaller, cheaper, lighter and faster devices with greater functionality and added value, consuming less raw materials and energy,” says Dr Dong Yang Wu, leader of the ‘Innovative Material, Polymer and Composite Technologies (IMPACT) for Manufacturing Theme at CMIT. With an estimated 1500 nanotech startup companies worldwide and US$2.5 billion invested globally in nano R&D last year, the CSIRO team is at the forefront of this technology. While most of the nanomaterial development projects worldwide are still more academic than commercial, CSIRO is already working with major global corporations on developing and commercialising nanomaterials for applications in aerospace and consumer products. “The successful outcomes achieved with these projects and our ability to create nanomaterials using industrially viable processes provides a solid foundation for future development to harness the tremendous potential of these exceptional materials,” says Dr Wu. The Boeing Company is one major group now partnering with CSIRO in the development of high performance of aeronautical materials. Because these new polymeric nanomaterials are so strong and multifunctional, they can be used to make the planes much more fuel efficient as a result of reduced weight and improved functionality. “Our nanomaterials technologies are enabling Australian and international manufacturers to generate new products and processes across industry sectors ranging from food packaging to mining and aerospace,” says Dr Wu. There are more than 50 scientists in the CSIRO’s IMPACT for Manufacturing Theme, which is based at the organisation’s Highett and Clayton sites in Melbourne’s south. As with many areas of CSIRO research it has the capacity to bring together a range of specialisations, as Dr Wu explains: “The IMPACT team has been able to provide competitive research and technological solutions because of our unique combination of capabilities – designing surface/interface properties, formulating new materials, and developing polymer processing and fabrication technologies.” Dr Wu says it’s a case of working with industry to understand where it wants to head, and to then provide the necessary technical capability. This approach has already led to significant scientific and technological international patents and a number of international and Australian patent applications. The IMPACT group has developed a successful commercial portfolio by giving its scientific innovation a commercial raison d'etre. Its research over the past six years – backed by more than A$6 million worth of industry funding – has already led to a range of technologies that have been, or are being, commercialised.These include transparent sunscreen, UV resistant coating for beer bottles and wood finishes, nanomaterials for barrier resistant packaging, fire retardant nanomaterials, electrical conductive nanocomposites and coatings, impact resistant composite laminates, and biodegradable nanocomposites (under R&D). Major companies or organisations that the CSIRO works with in this nanotechnology area include Boeing, ACI Packaging, Orica, Microniser and Nanovic. The IMPACT team’s future focus is on developing multifunctional and smart nanomaterials that will contribute to cleaner industrial production processes, or superior products, by reducing the use of raw materials and energy. The team also intends to explore the potential of nanotechnology for developing value added products from renewable resources or products requiring much less energy to recycle. For further information contact: |
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The capacity of these manufacturing processes is now
vast, and the existence of wonders like space shuttles and computer chips would
indicate a limitless potential.
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