Nanotechnology – A key technology for the 21st century
40 years ago, the idea was first mooted by Richard Feynman; today, nanotechnology is a key technology for the 21st century, with the potential to provoke a new industrial revolution.
Nanotechnology refers to the controlled manufacturing of materials and components with dimensions in the atomic or molecular range (1 to 100 nanometres) – up to 50,000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair! RITTAL was quick to realise the potential of nanotechnology for its own product spectrum and its customers.
Innovative surface protection
The standard RITTAL coating already boasts outstanding properties such as mechanical strength and resistance to minerals and lubricants. By using coatings based on chemical nanotechnology, we are now able to optimise these properties still further. The innovative RiNano coating allows us to tailor RITTAL products even more closely to the most discerning requirements.
Outstanding prospects
We have high expectations of nanotechnology, both now and in the future. Other innovation highlights include:
- Carbon Nano Tubes (CNT): These microscopically small, tubular structures are more thermally conductive than diamond, lighter than aluminium, and stronger than steel. One attractive application field for new products lies in using the outstanding electrical properties of nanotubes to generate heat or to improve the stability of plastics, for example. The picture on the right shows carbon nano tubes as a material and as a model (right). By way of comparison, the left of the picture shows a model of a fullerene, a football-shaped carbon compound.
Both pictures supplied by: (c) Flad & Flad Communication Group, "nanoTruck: Reise in den Nanokosmos – Die Welt kleinster Dimensionen", www.nanotruck.de - Fluorescent nanoparticles: These fluoresce green, blue or violet under UV light. The cadmium selenide particles used here emit light in the visible spectrum upon excitation in the UV range. The variability of the colour is due to the varying size of the particles, a phenomenon known as the quantum size effect. Potential applications include security technology for the counterfeit-proof labelling of products or production plant.
- Nanoceramics for structural applications: An innovative manufacturing technique (known as gel casting) makes it possible to achieve almost glass-like transparency for the first time. Combined with the other special properties of nanoceramics, this leads to new application areas, e.g. in the aerospace industry or in the development of scratch-proof windows.
RITTAL will continue to monitor future developments in the field of nanotechnology very carefully on your behalf.