FEATURE TEST & MEASUREMENT
THE NANO WORLD: a new frontier
John Cove, marketing manager of Starrett, examines how precision metrology will support the rise of nanotechnology and why manufacturers need to invest in nanometrology
N
anotechnology might seem to be cutting edge, but in reality,
humans have been experimenting with nanomaterials for hundreds of years - albeit accidentally. Stained glass windows came about as the result of a heating and cooling process that adjusted the size of nanocrystals in the glass. Medieval nanotechnologists may not have been aware of the scale they were working at, but this art form is widely considered as one of the first examples of manipulation of nanomaterials. Today, technologists are beginning to understand the full potential of the nanoscale by experimenting with the measurement and management of nanomaterials.
EVOLVING NANOTECHNOLOGY Over the past three decades, the science of nanotechnology has grown from complete obscurity into an industry worth trillions of pounds. Nanomaterials already contribute to over 1,800 consumer goods, but the future predictions for this technology are far more remarkable. Faster computer chips, life-saving medical devices and environmentally restoring inventions are among the many nanotech applications set to change the way we live. In fact, scientists in the United States have recently designed a fluorescent nanoparticle that can glow inside a patient’s body - making it easy for doctors to identify tumours and organ damage. The ability to observe and construct things at a tiny scale is the heart of
36 FEBRUARY 2017 | INSTRUMENTATION
nanotechnology. To put the scale of a nanometre into perspective, this unit of measurement tallies at one billionth of a metre. A single strand of human hair is around 80,000 nanometres in width, a strand of human DNA is 2.5 nanometres in diameter and fingernails grow by roughly one nanometre every second.
COMMERCIAL SCOPE As nanotechnology is evolving, so is the scope for its commercial expansion. The range of potential applications for nanotechnology is creating enormous growth prospects for the sector. However, scientists have discovered that, when working at this scale, every day materials begin to behave in unusual ways, opening entirely new opportunities
- and potential challenges - for manufacturers and scientists. Clearly, nanotechnology has the potential to be a major driver for the manufacturing economy of the future. However, significant research and development is required to ensure high quality precision of these materials, and manufacturers will require more advanced technology to accurately manage materials on this scale.
MEASUREMENT FOR MANUFACTURING Metrology and precision measurement already play an integral role in product design and manufacturing. The technology behind quality assurance processes ensure every product works the way it should: safely and effectively. In the nanoworld, however, the role of metrology will become considerably more complicated. One of the biggest challenges for
manufacturers hoping to experiment with nanotechnology is the need to develop new measurement techniques that meet the requirements of the nanoscale. The development of nanotechnologies cannot advance without progress in nanometrology first - affording the ability to measure and characterise nanoscale materials according to their shape, size and physical properties. In fact, the US government’s National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), a research and development initiative for nanotechnology, has named instrumentation and metrology as
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