Mumbai University > Mechanical Engineering > Sem 4 > Material Technology

Marks: 5M

Year: May 2014

Nanomaterials describe, in principle, materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 and 1000 nanometers (10−9 meter) but is usually 1—100 nm. Materials engineered to such a small scale are often referred to as engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), which can take on unique optical, magnetic, electrical, and other properties. These emergent properties have the potential for great impacts in electronics, medicine, and other fields. For example,

1. Nanotechnology can be used to design pharmaceuticals that can target specific organs or cells in the body such as cancer cells, and enhance the effectiveness of therapy.
2. Nano-materials can also be added to cement, cloth and other materials to make them stronger and yet lighter.
3. Their size makes them extremely useful in electronics, and they can also be used in environmental remediation or clean-up to bind with and neutralize toxins

Some nanomaterials can occur naturally, such as blood borne proteins essential for life and lipids found in the blood and body fat. Scientists, however, are particularly interested in engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), which are designed for use in many commercial materials, devices and structures. Already, thousands of common products-- including sunscreens, cosmetics, sporting goods, stain-resistant clothing, tires, and electronics are manufactured using ENMs. They are also in medical diagnosis, imaging and drug delivery and in environmental remediation.