Plus, there are unique advantages that only nanomaterials can offer. These tiny materials often behave differently than standard materials and have unique or unusual properties as a result of their structure. For example, there are carbon nanotubes, which are some of the best-known nanomaterials. These nanotubes are incredibly strong and lightweight, have a near-limit tip-surface area, are highly chemically stable and are more thermally conductive than diamond.
In addition to these nanoscale materials, nanotechnology also includes domains like nanomedicine, nanoelectronics and nanorobotics. These are subdomains of larger fields that are operating on nanoscale. Outside of nanomaterials, nanorobotics and nanoelectronics are likely the most relevant to manufacturing. There are two broad categories of approach to nanofabrication, the manufacturing of nanomaterials: top-down and bottom-up.
With a top-down manufacturing approach, a manufacturer will start with larger materials and use chemical and physical processes to break them down into nanoscopic elements. This approach is commonly employed when a manufacturer needs to apply a material that's readily available at normal scales at the nano level. For example, diamonds have naturally high thermal conductivity. Diamond nanoparticles show similar properties, but can be used in different ways or mixed into liquids like mineral oil.
Bottom-up manufacturing starts with individual molecules or compounds and uses a combination of chemical and physical processes to join them together into nanoscopic materials. Many nanomaterials that have unique or unusual structures — like carbon nanotubes — are manufactured with a bottom-up approach. Because there is such a range of different nanomaterials, there is also a wide variety of potential applications.
Carbon nanotubes are some of the most widely used nanomaterials, simply due to the material's set of unique characteristics. The one-electron transistor. Transistors are building blocks for all microelectronics. Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program participant Yu Kambe is commercializing a Quantum Dot ink to enable the manufacturing of energy-efficient, tricolor micro-displays for virtual and augmented-reality devices.
Photo courtesy of NanoPattern Technologies, Inc. Sandia National Laboratories SNL uses hydrogen lithography to create a one-nanometer line to validate digital, microelectronic device ideas. New manufacturing methods allow atoms to be deposited one layer at a time.
The unique properties of carbon nanotubes dark stripes make them applicable for highly energy-efficient semiconductor technology and electronic devices.
By selectively precipitating metallic-carbon nanotubes and leaving semiconducting-carbon nanotubes dispersed in solution, Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program participant William Fitzhugh is developing an approach for low-cost supply chains for manufacturing next-generation nanoelectronics. Researchers are working to link photonics to electronics to improve speed and efficiency.
Chemical Manufacturing When applied to chemical manufacturing, nanotechnology offers the opportunity to develop new, atomically precise catalysts—materials that increase the rate of a chemical reaction—for specific processes that dramatically reduce energy intensity and improve material productivity for industry.
Chemical Manufacturing Photo Gallery Photos. Coating a catalyst with a nanostructured copper-based dilute alloy can potentially increase energy and material efficiency by converting CO2 to high-demand chemicals and transportation fuels.
The pine cone shape seen here increases the surface area of the copper alloy for more atom-to-atom interactions. Nanoparticles are very good catalysts because they have a high ratio of surface to mass. This image shows metal nanoparticles grown on carbon. Researchers visualize amazing things while working with nanotechnology.
Each dot in this image represents atoms; the brighter clusters are metal particles. Nanoart The ability to capture and create visually striking images on this very small scale demonstrates the incredible things that scientists and engineers are able to do with nanotechnology.
Having completely traceability through accurate labelling of all products—from the very beginning of the production process to the point where that product meets the end user—will enable manufacturers to deal with recalls and end of life products effectively and efficiently. This will in turn minimise any potential impacts on the environment, the business, and its customers.
As the use of nanoparticles in the manufacturing industry continues to grow, enterprise resource planning ERP software will play an important role in the quality control and traceability of nano-based products.
In order to achieve full visibility and control, businesses should look to implement a tailored ERP system across their company to ensure workforce and consumer safety. Businesses can keep up with regulatory compliance, revolutionise the manufacturing industry, and the products themselves through easier data retrieval and improved data accuracy.
Mark Hughes. Topics nanotechnology. This is the most common method, often used to make computer chips and other everyday items. The alternative is the bottom up method, the process of assembling a structure at the molecular level, one atom at a time.
This method is still in the experimental stage of development and is time consuming and complex. Exploration into what can be achieved using the bottom down method has encouraged research into creating molecular components that can self-assemble into a specific structure without the need for external interaction.
Three applications in particular reveal tangible evidence of what the future of manufacturing will look like. The integration of nanomaterial into coatings has led to a great progression in safety wear and has become increasingly popular for biotextiles.
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