Running head: NANOMATERIALS 1

NANOMATERIALS

Name

Institution
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Nanomaterials

Nanomaterials are elements that that posses electrical, magnetic, and other

characteristics that are unique. The are called nanomaterials because they are measured in

terms of nanometres. One millimetre is the equivalent of one million nanometres.

Nanomaterials can be classified according to their dimensions such as three dimensional, two

dimensional, one dimensional, and zero dimensional. An example of a two-dimensional

nanomaterial is MXenes which exhibit advanced electrical properties.

Today the engineering of nanomaterial is an ever-growing process in structural and

functionality of matter whether organic or inorganic. This science research allows the

manipulation of this materials’ properties to come up with more efficient product whether in

machines or in medical fields.

Nanotubes are hollow tubular structures made up of carbon atoms. They are mainly

single-walled or multi-walled. They have been found to be more reliable thermo conductors

compared to diamond. This property has made nanotubes suitable for emitting electrons at

very low electrical energy (Hameroff,2014). In the field of medicine nanotubes show

capability of regeneration of nerve cell and even act as drug delivery system for specific

regions.

Nano-sized machines are machines built on the Nano-scale level. Most of these

machines are still being developed and researched. These machines can be used in field such

as medicine to spot cancerous cells and destroy them (Kim,2017). Some of these

nanomachines are able to determine the number of molecules in a sample thus can be used to

measure the toxicity of certain chemicals in the environment. There is a race for developing

nanorobots as this technology can be used in almost all fields including surgery.
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Manufacturing Process

The production of elements, devices or even systems, which are in the nanoscale

which are later used in the production of efficient and innovative products, is called

nanomanufacturing (Wolf,2015). It is surreal that elements can be manipulated at such a

scale. these nanomaterials can be used to advance properties like durability, conductivity, and

even flexibility. There are two forms of nanomanufacturing which are top-down, where an

element is broken-down up to its nanoscale, and bottom-up where the elements are built from

the atomic level.

block nanoparticles

Top-down process

Bottom-up process

atoms nanoparticles
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Milling Process

This method is common because it is simple and does not need equipment which are

expensive. This method grinds microparticles by use of mills. The milling process requires

loads of energy. This method is suitable for the production of metallic nanomaterials. The

mechanical milling process is usually followed by a chemical reaction. This method,

however, produces different particle shapes and sizes.

Aerosol Process

This is a commonly used process by industries in the production on nanoparticles in

powder form. This method usually forms complex structures where the sizes and shapes can

be controlled easily. A vapor containing the material is what makes the nanoparticles using

chemical means. The initial nanoparticles are produced through a process of homogeneous

self-assembly. Growth of the particles involves change of the particles in gaseous form to

liquid state, reactions on the surface of the particle, and particle synthesis.

Precipitation Process

How salts react in solvents is key to this process. A catalyst with precipitating ability

is added to obtain the required particle precipitation and later filtered and treated using

thermal process. The reaction speed during precipitation determines the shape and size of the

particles. The reaction speed is determined by factors such as temperature, pH, in what order

were the materials added and the concentration of the material. Nanoreactors such as

liposomes, bubbles, and microemulsions are used to control the size of the particles.

Microemulsions constitutes of water, oil, and a surface tension reducing substance. This

brings about reactors that control the size of the particles.

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Sol-gel Process

This method is used to form permeable nanomaterials. The process involves use of

materials of powder form to produce gel. The sol-gel process does not require high

temperatures. The process of synthesizing these elements requires a metal element and other

reactive elements. The material is treated to form an oxide which forms a suspension when in

water. The gel is obtained by removing water from the suspension. However, it is hard to

control the process therefore it cannot be rushed. Controlling the shapes is hard but liquid

phase produces material which is highly permeable.

Application

The nanomaterials can be applied in many fields such as medicine, waste treatment,

energy conservation, and automobiles. They are essential in improving products efficiency.

The nanomaterials can be used as coating on steel to make it stronger and more durable

(Hameroff,2014). They can be used to create vehicles and aeroplanes which are lighter and in

turn reduce fuel consumption. Nanomaterials have led to improvements on electronics by

making them smaller and faster and can manage more information. Nanotechnology has an

endless potential.

Impact on the Environment

Nanotechnology is good for the environment as it improves industrial processes,

improves the methods of producing food and also decontamination of water systems is

possible. The reduction in size means that little energy will be required which is good for the

environment.
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Impact on society

The military will be able to advance their technology such as artificial intelligence.

Nanotechnology engineers will be in high demand by firms to automate their production

processes.

Conclusion

Nanomaterials are elements that possess electrical, magnetic, and other characteristics

that are unique. Science research allows the manipulation of this materials’ properties to

come up with more efficient product whether in machines or in medical fields. In the field of

medicine nanotubes show capability of regeneration of nerve cell and even act as drug

delivery system for specific region. Nanomachines can be used in field such as medicine to

spot cancerous cells and destroy them.

There are two forms of nanomanufacturing which are top-down, where an element is

broken-down up to its nanoscale, and bottom-up where the elements are built from the atomic

level. The different manufacturing processes are, Milling process, Aerosol process,

Precipitate Process, and Sol-gel process.

The nanomaterials can be applied in many fields such as medicine, waste treatment,

energy conservation, and automobiles. Nanomaterials have led to improvements on

electronics by making them smaller and faster and can manage more information.

The reduction in size means that little energy will be required which is good for the

environment. it improves industrial processes and improves the methods of producing food

among other functionalities.

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References

Bhushan, B. (Ed.). (2017). Springer handbook of nanotechnology. Springer

Hameroff, S. R. (2014). Ultimate computing: biomolecular consciousness and
nanotechnology. Elsevier.
Kim, K. Y. (2017). Nanotechnology platforms and physiological challenges for cancer
therapeutics. In Nanomedicine in Cancer (pp. 27-46). Pan Stanford.
Wolf, E. L. (2015). Nanophysics and nanotechnology: an introduction to modern concepts in
nanoscience. John Wiley & Sons.