APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale.
Nanotechnology is concerned with objects between 1 and 100nm in size.( Nano meter)

1 Nanometer – 1 x 10-9m.

Applications of nano technology in civil engineering are numerous. Some of the applications are elaborated below.

Application in concrete:
Addition of nanoscale materials into cement could improve its performance. Use of nano-SiO2 could significantly increase the compressive for concrete, containing large volume fly ash, at early age and improve pore size distribution by filling the pores between large fly ash and cement particles at nanoscale. The dispersion/slurry of amorphous nanosilica is used to improve segregation resistance for self-compacting concrete. It has also been reported that adding small amount of carbonnanotube (1%) by weight could increase both compressive and flexural strength.


Cracking is a major concern for many structures. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is working on healing polymers, which include a microencapsulated healing agent and a catalytic chemical trigger. When the microcapsules are broken by a crack, the healing agent is released into the crack and contact with the catalyst. The polymerization happens and bond the crack faces. The selfhealing polymer could be especially applicable to fix the microcracking in bridge piers and columns. But it requires costly epoxy injection.


Application in Steel

Steel is a major construction material. Its properties, such as strength, corrosion resistance, and weld ability, are very important for the design and construction. It is possible to develop new, low carbon, highperformance steel (HPS). The new steel was developed with higher corrosion-resistance and weld ability by incorporating copper nanoparticles from at the steel grain boundaries.

Coating
The coatings incorporating certain nanoparticles or nanolayers have been developed for certain purpose. It is one of the major applications of nanotechnology in construction. For example, TiO2 is used to coat glazing because of its sterilizing and anti fouling properties. The TiO2 will break down and disintegrate organic dirt through powerful catalytic reaction. Furthermore, it is hydrophilic, which allow the water to spread evenly over the surface and wash away dirt previously broken down. Other special coatings also have been developed, such as anti-fraffiti, thermal control, energy sawing, antireflection coating.

Nanosensors
Sensors have been developed and used in construction to monitor and/or control the environment condition and the materials/structure performance. One advantage of these sensors is their dimension (10 -9m to 10-5m). These sensors could be embedded into the structure during the construction process. Smart aggregate, a low cost piezoceramic-based multi-functional device, has been applied to monitor early age concrete properties such as moisture, temperature, relative humidity and early age strength development. The sensors can also be used to monitor concrete corrosion and cracking. The smart aggregate can also be used for structure health monitoring. The disclosed system can monitor internal stresses, cracks and other physical forces in the structures during the structures’ life. It is capable of providing an early indication of the health of the structure before a failure of the structure can occur.

Applications Of Nanotechnology In Textiles And Other Fields

Nanotechnology is an emerging interdisciplinary technology that has been booming in many areas during the recent decade, including materials science, mechanics, electronics, optics, medicine, plastics, energy, electronics, and aerospace. Its profound societal impact has been considered as the huge momentum to usher in a second industrial revolution. The "nanD" in nanotechnolgy comes from the Greek word "nanos" that means dwarf. Scientists use this prefix to indicate 1 0-9 or one-billionth. One nanometer is one-billionth meter that is about 1 00,000 times smaller than the diameter of a single human hair.

Nanotechnology endeavors are aimed at manipulating atoms, molecules and nanosize particles in a precise and controlled manner in order to build materials with a fundamentally new organization and novel properties. The embryo of nanotechnology is "atomic assembly", which was first publicly articulated in 1959 by physicist Richard Feynman. Nanotechnology is called a "bottom up" technology by which bulk materials can be built precisely in tiny building blocks, different from the traditional manufacture "top down" technology. Therefore, resultant materials have fewer defects and higher quality. The fundamentals of nanotechnology lie in the fact that properties of substances dramatically change when their size is reduced to the nanometer range. When a ulk material is divided into small size particles with one or more dimension (length, width, or thickness) in the nanometer range or even smaller, the individual particles exhibit unexpected properties, different from those of the bulk material. It is known that atoms and molecules possess totally different behaviors than those of bulk materials; while the properties of the former are described by quantum mechanics, the properties of the latter are governed by classic mechanics. Between these two distinct domains, the nanometer range is a murky threshold for the transition of a material's behavior. For example, ceramics, which normally are brittle, can easily be made deformable when their grain size is reduced to the low nanometer range. A gold particle of 1 nm across shows red color. Moreover, a small amount of nanosize species can interfere with matrix polymer that is usually in the similar size range, bringing up the performance of resultant system to an unprecedented level. These are the reasons why nanotechnology has attracted large amounts of federal funding, research activity and media attention. The textile industry has already impacted by nanotechnology. Research involving nanotechnology to improve performances or to create unprecedented functions of textile materials are flourishing. These research endeavors are mainly focused on using nanosize substances and generating nanostructures during manufacturing and finishing processes.

Nanotechnology - A Process of Evolution

Anyone that realizes that nanotechnology news and the headlines related to nano news are ever-changing, also must realize that nanotechnology is a field that is under the process of a rapid evolution. There are many new nanotechnology jobs currently opening up and anyone currently pursuing the study of Nanoscience is assured that there will be plenty of nano jobs in the future. New facilities and scientific teams are being established and assembled all the time, and the more advances that are made in the field of nanotechnology, the more promising the nano jobs outlook will be. Nano news headlines will continue to evolve as the field of nanotechnology evolves and reveals the endless discoveries and inventions being created by nanotech researchers from all over the world.

We need to be clear about the difference between Nanoscience and nanotechnology before we begin to note all of the advances being made in the field. First, Nanoscience is simply the study of nanostructures, while nanotechnology is the implementation and application of such understandings in various industries throughout the world. In the nanotechnology field, new students of Nanoscience will be entering into the industry in search of nano jobs that match their level of skill and educational focus. This shouldn't be a problem however as the food, medical, space, cosmetic, and electronic industries are turning to the use of nanotechnologies to improve upon industry operations, manufacturing, and processing.

The word Nanotechnology is making it on nanotechnology news headlines nearly every day. More universities are offering coursework and programs specifically for the pursuit of Nanoscience studies; this is to address the future demand for nanotech researchers and this is a positive sign for those seeking nanotechnology jobs, both now and in the future. Students of Nanoscience will primarily focus on the study of nanostructures and how such structures can be manipulated. When moving into the field of nanotechnology and working in various nanotechnology jobs, nano researchers will usually deal with two chief forms of nanotechnology: bottom up and top down nanotechnologies. The latter forms of nanotechnology refer to the directional operation of such workings; Top down nanotech work involves the miniaturization of structures while the bottom down nanotechnology field focuses on the enlargement of various structures.

So why are so many industries opening up new avenues for nano research, nanotechnology jobs, and development? If someone notes the latest nanotechnology news headlines it isn't too difficult to surmise; many of the advances in nanotech research are proving to benefit industries by helping them save money in production and manufacturing arenas. Cost saving processes of manufacturing are being continuously developed through nanotechnologies, and both industries and consumers are benefiting from the discoveries. New avenues of nanotech research are also paving inroads in the medical industries as innovative health treatments, diagnostic equipments and methods, and better treatments are being discovered as well. Since recent advances have exhibited a positive effect for industries and consumers, there is a push for more advances in the field of nano research.

Developments in nanotechnology are currently exhibiting a certain potential for aiding humanity and changing the world in which we live too. Nano research is being conducted presently that can be used in energy conversation efforts, as well as in filtering water so that people can have access to fresh, clean water in areas of the world where pure water is a true commodity. Thus, nanotechnology news will, undoubtedly, soon be revealing headlines about world wide use of nanotechnology. Those individuals interested in the future developments in the field of nanotech research need to monitor the headlines closely as new nano news emerges. It will allow those seeking nanotechnology information to remain informed, and current as far as an awareness about the latest developments as well as some of the existing controversy that surrounds the emerging discoveries in this exciting field.

NANOTECHNOLOGY IN MEDICINE

Nanotechnology, over recent years, has seen a surge in research activity, with great potential in a wide range of applications including drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The development of tools like the scanning tunneling microscope and the atomic force microscope has enabled researchers to observe structures on the nanoscale, where materials may exhibit different properties due to their size.

Also, the development of new materials like carbon nanotubes and buckyballs, along with the improved understanding of the molecular processes linked to diseases has provided novel approaches in improving current therapeutic and diagnostic tools.

The majority of current commercial applications of nanotechnology to medicine are geared towards drug delivery to enable new modes of action, as well as better targeting and bioavailability of existing medicinal substances.

The aim of this paper is to present the various aspects, the benefits and disadvantages of nanotechnology in the field of medicine, considering drug delivery as a major aspect.

In drug delivery, nanotechnology is just beginning to make an impact. Many of the current "nano" drug delivery systems, however, are remnants of conventional drug delivery systems that happen to be in the nanometer range, such as liposome, polymeric micelles, nanoparticles, dendrimers, and nanocrystals.

The importance of nanotechnology in drug delivery is in the concept and ability to manipulate molecules and supramolecular structures for producing devices with programmed functions. The nanoparticles used for drug delivery present a mechanism to overcome the challenges posed by other drug delivery systems.

Some of the challenges of most drug delivery systems include poor bioavailability, in vivo stability, solubility, intestinal absorption, sustained and targeted delivery to site of action, therapeutic effectiveness, side effects, and plasma fluctuations of drugs which either fall below the minimum effective concentrations or exceed the safe therapeutic concentrations. However, nanotechnology in drug delivery is an approach designed to overcome these challenges due to the development and fabrication of nanostructures at submicron scale and nanoscale which are mainly polymeric and have multiple advantages. Generally, nanostructures have the ability to protect drugs encapsulated within them from hydrolytic and enzymatic degradation in the gastrointestinal tract; target the delivery of a wide range of drugs to various areas of the body for sustained release and thus are able to deliver drugs, proteins and genes through the peroral route of administration.They increase oral bioavailability of drugs due to their specialized uptake mechanisms such as absorptive endocytosis and are able to remain in the blood circulation for a longer time, releasing the incorporated drug in a sustained and continuous manner leading to less plasma fluctuations thereby minimizing side-effects caused by drugs.

Nanotechnology and it’s Benefits

Nanotechnology is a protective coating that enhances products of any sort of material. It can strengthen and improve the assets to benefit both manufacturers and end users. With the help of Nanotechnology, which is an applied science, new products are created to protect various materials.

Protective coating is a result of nanotechnology. It makes the materials weather resistant and the surface becomes easy to clean as well. Its protective coating exhibits very high resistance to corrosion attack, long term stability in aggressive conditions and an environmentally friendly, easy and economical preparation procedure.

Nanotechnology and its characteristics will be different in the case of each material surface and it is available with standard features and techniques. Nanotechnology uses more techniques and tools for its updating. Nanotechnology research has been made continuously to update technology using different techniques and tools available in the world. New technologies have been used to measure the molecular interactions that take place.

Nanotechnology has the potential to revolutionize the life of materials used in every sector be it industrial, residential, medicines, genetics, communication, textile and many more. It helps to improve products and production processes with better techniques and new functionality.

In coming years, products based on nanotechnology are expected to impact nearly all-industrial sectors and enter the consumer markets in large quantities. Considering the future prospects of nanotechnology, countries across the world are investing heavily in this sector. Diamon Fusion International is one such example that makes the optimum use of nanotechnology by providing glass protection,hydrophobic coating, protective coating to various materials depending on there characters.

Nanotechnology Applications for Electronics

Nanotechnology and electronics

Nanotechnology is already being used by the electronic industry and you will be surprised to know that many of today’s electronics have already incorporated many applications that the nanotechnology science has developed. For example, new computer microprocessors have less than 100 nanometers (nm) features. Smaller sizes mean a significant increase in speed and more processing capability.


These advances will undoubtedly help achieve better computers. However, at some point in time (very near in the future) current electronic technology will no longer be enough to handle the demand for new chips microprocessors. Right now, the method for chip manufacturing is known as lithography or etching. By this technology, a probe literally writes over a surface the chip circuit. This way of building circuits in electronic chips has a limitation of around 22 nanometers (most advanced chip processors uses 60-70 nm size features). Below 22 nm errors will occur and short circuits and silicon limitations will prevent chip manufacturing.


What's on the future?
Nanotechnology may offer new ways of working for electronics. Nanotechnology science is developing new circuit materials, new processors, new means of storing information and new manners of transferring information. Nanotechnology can offer greater versatility because of faster data transfer, more “on the go” processing capabilities and larger data memories.


A new field is emerging in electronics that will be a giant leap in computer and electronics science. It is the field of quantum computing and quantum technology. Quantum computing is area of scientific knowledge aimed at developing computer technology based on the principles of quantum theory. In quantum computing the “qbit” instead of the traditional bit of information is used. Traditionally, a bit can assume two values: 1 and 0. All the computers up-to-date are based on the “bit” principle. However, the new “qbit” is able to process anything between 0 and 1. This implies that new types of calculations and high processing speeds can be achieved.


Quantum computers have been more of a research area until now. But recently, the first quantum computer has been built in the United States, according to a recent paper published on the prestigious scientific journal Nature Physics. This new computer is said to achieve unseen processing speeds to the tune of a billion times per second, making this the fastest chip on earth.

Nanotechnology Applications for Healthcare: Treatment of Diseases

There are well-established treatments for known diseases. However, when a new illness appears we should not be surprised to see an old-fashioned treatment meet little success. Nanotechnology can help to address the issue of treatments of both old and new diseases.


For starters nanotechnology can provide personalized medicine; that is, unique, individualized medications for each patient. Second, nanotechnology can help treat new diseases by designing new drugs, or by new ways of delivering known drugs. Also, it helps by reducing the risk of rejection or adverse reactions in implants.

Personalized Medicine
Drugs to treat diseases are a risky proposition. Individuals may react different to the same drug dose or even to the drug. Traditionally medicine has taken the “average” respond approach to treat diseases. However, an effective dose for one patient or a certain drug can be toxic for another individual.

As we know more about the human genome, we realize that there may be genes that predispose a patient to a certain disease or to a certain drug. Nanotechnology is helping in this area of illness treatment by designing and applying tools that can rapidly analyze and detect certain genes and gene sequences. In this way if a patient has a gene that predisposes him or her to a bad reaction then a new drug can be chosen for him. This is personalized medicine, medicine targeted to each patient.

New Methods of Drug Delivery
One of the issues with traditional medicine is the uncertainty of knowing whether the administered drug will reach the intended organ or area of the body. Nanotechnology helps to solve this issue because specific carriers can be designed for specific drugs so the drug goes right to the target organ and not to another one. For example in cancer therapies a specific nanoparticle formulation has been designed for the drug paclitaxel. The new formulation (nanoparticle plus drug) is less toxic than the free drug injected to the patient.

New Drugs
Certain drugs are difficult to make because of structural constraints. Nanotechnology can help design these drugs by using a controlled manufacturing system at the atomic and molecular level. In addition, the drug can be designed such as to eliminate the toxic part of it and leave the “effective” one. Currently, new asthma, HIV, And Cancer killing drugs are being designed using nanotechnology systems.

Implants
One of the issues with implants is the interaction of the new implant with biological tissues and cells of the patient. Sometimes adverse reactions occur, and although there are methods to minimize this, many implants fail because of body rejection of the new implant. Nanotechnology can offer some solutions in this area of health care. For example in bone implants were rejections can occur, titanium bone implants are being covered with a special nanocoat of nanostructured titanium dioxide which helps integrate the implant into the bone.