Source : Wired
New spray-on, nanotech coatings could keep iPod screens from scratching, make paper products waterproof and perform other minor modern miracles.
And because they are cheaper, easier to apply and more environmentally friendly than substances currently in use, nano technology-based coatings could replace many of today's industrial paints and coatings.
The nano coatings, "liquid solids" composed of extremely tiny particles, possess unique characteristics -- like extreme flexibility, easy adhesion and resistance to corrosion and microbial growth -- that could profoundly change the manufacturing process.
Sally Ramsey, co-founder and chief chemist of Ecology Coatings, began exploring the costs and potential environmental benefits of nano coatings in 2003. She used nano-sized particles of mineral oxides to create waterproof coatings for paper at half the cost of synthetic paper. Derivative materials could be used to produce waterproof cardboard boxes, or integrated into building materials such as drywall to prevent mold from growing if it becomes wet, Ramsey said.
The wonder coatings also might make small video screens on electronic devices such as iPods and mobile phones more durable.
"Abrasion-resistance and scratch-resistance is very much enhanced" when the nano coating is applied, according to Ramsey, and surface hardness is strengthened without losing clarity.
A similar nano coating, licensed from Ecology Coatings by chemical giant DuPont, could revolutionize the auto parts industry when it is commercialized, possibly as early as this year.
DuPont hopes to produce nano paint that seals and protects automotive components, greatly reducing the environmental impact of producing cars by slashing the amount of energy and materials needed. The nano-based coating could radically alter the time-consuming and costly process of applying coatings to auto parts.
The nano particles are small enough to be applied using conventional spraying equipment, Ramsey said, and the nanotech coating can be cured simply by exposing the surface of the auto parts to ultraviolet light for 10 seconds or less.
"After the UV (light) hits it, it becomes a thin sheet of plastic," she said. UV curing, which is completed at room temperature, would replace the standard curing process, which requires placing parts in ovens at temperatures of up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as 40 minutes.
Because they eliminate the need for hazardous chemicals currently in use, the nano coatings also could save parts manufacturers from getting Environmental Protection Agency permits, tracking emissions and disposing of solvents.
It all adds up to a more ecologically friendly process with a welcome side benefit: lower manufacturing costs.
Shifting to nano-based coatings could also change how auto parts are designed. For instance, engineers could use different materials because they wouldn't have to worry about heat from the manufacturing process melting plastic parts, Matheson said.
"We are in the early stages of a profound industry change," he said.
He estimates the technology will reduce the amount of energy used in the coating-application process by 25 percent and reduce materials costs by 75 percent.
However, because the "state of knowledge about some nano particles is quite immature," Griffith said, "we would need to know about health studies for the potential impacts of these particles."
New spray-on, nanotech coatings could keep iPod screens from scratching, make paper products waterproof and perform other minor modern miracles.
And because they are cheaper, easier to apply and more environmentally friendly than substances currently in use, nano technology-based coatings could replace many of today's industrial paints and coatings.
The nano coatings, "liquid solids" composed of extremely tiny particles, possess unique characteristics -- like extreme flexibility, easy adhesion and resistance to corrosion and microbial growth -- that could profoundly change the manufacturing process.
Sally Ramsey, co-founder and chief chemist of Ecology Coatings, began exploring the costs and potential environmental benefits of nano coatings in 2003. She used nano-sized particles of mineral oxides to create waterproof coatings for paper at half the cost of synthetic paper. Derivative materials could be used to produce waterproof cardboard boxes, or integrated into building materials such as drywall to prevent mold from growing if it becomes wet, Ramsey said.
The wonder coatings also might make small video screens on electronic devices such as iPods and mobile phones more durable.
"Abrasion-resistance and scratch-resistance is very much enhanced" when the nano coating is applied, according to Ramsey, and surface hardness is strengthened without losing clarity.
A similar nano coating, licensed from Ecology Coatings by chemical giant DuPont, could revolutionize the auto parts industry when it is commercialized, possibly as early as this year.
DuPont hopes to produce nano paint that seals and protects automotive components, greatly reducing the environmental impact of producing cars by slashing the amount of energy and materials needed. The nano-based coating could radically alter the time-consuming and costly process of applying coatings to auto parts.
The nano particles are small enough to be applied using conventional spraying equipment, Ramsey said, and the nanotech coating can be cured simply by exposing the surface of the auto parts to ultraviolet light for 10 seconds or less.
"After the UV (light) hits it, it becomes a thin sheet of plastic," she said. UV curing, which is completed at room temperature, would replace the standard curing process, which requires placing parts in ovens at temperatures of up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as 40 minutes.
Because they eliminate the need for hazardous chemicals currently in use, the nano coatings also could save parts manufacturers from getting Environmental Protection Agency permits, tracking emissions and disposing of solvents.
It all adds up to a more ecologically friendly process with a welcome side benefit: lower manufacturing costs.
Shifting to nano-based coatings could also change how auto parts are designed. For instance, engineers could use different materials because they wouldn't have to worry about heat from the manufacturing process melting plastic parts, Matheson said.
"We are in the early stages of a profound industry change," he said.
He estimates the technology will reduce the amount of energy used in the coating-application process by 25 percent and reduce materials costs by 75 percent.
However, because the "state of knowledge about some nano particles is quite immature," Griffith said, "we would need to know about health studies for the potential impacts of these particles."