Up until a few months ago I hadn't really thought too much about nanotechnology. In fact, the scope of my knowledge in this area was thinking that Apple was at the cutting edge of miniaturization with its iPod Nano.

So it's hard for me to comprehend how scientists and researchers are able to work in what is termed the “nanoscale,” especially when you consider that a nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. To put this into perspective, eight to ten atoms span one nanometer. Or better yet, a sheet of paper is about 100,000 nanometers thick.

In essence, nanotechnology is the maneuvering of atoms to produce a desired product. Naturally, developing techniques to precisely maneuver atoms, along with creating the tools and equipment to do this with presents researchers with additional challenges.

But the money for this science isn't scarce and a number of countries around the world are banking on the future of nanotechnology. According to Dr. Graham Moore at Pira International (see story: Nanotechnology - The New Technological Revolution), on a global basis, governments are spending some $3 billion on nanotechnology, with each year seeing a fresh effort by Europe, the U.S. and Japan to outbid the others. Dr. Moore adds that it has been estimated that this public funding is being matched by corporate R&D spending, giving a total of $5-6 billion per year.

Alone, the U.S. federal government funding for nanotechnology research in 2005 was $982 million, up sharply from $116 million in 2001. And, the 2006 budget request that President Bush sent to Congress calls for a total of just over $1 billion, says the US National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI).

The science of working with small things isn't exactly new to the paper industry. Buckman Laboratories for example uses a synthetic hectorite nanoparticle in one of its retention and drainage systems, and Eka Chemicals utilizes colloidal silica nanoparticles in its Compozil Select retention system.

Nanotechnology holds some exciting possibilities for the world and for the paper industry. Dr. Moore points to some current areas of research including: nanostructuring of the cell wall for better paper properties, the use of nanotechnology in filler-in-fiber engineering and paper coating, applications of nanotechnology in purification of process waters, and binder modification and the engineering of filler surfaces.

There are many other potential applications where nanotechnology will be used to reduce the costs involved with papermaking and enhance the quality of the product. Experts in the field claim that we will see dramatic advances in this science within a decade—some that seem unimaginable today.

As for the iPod Nano, it really doesn't seem all that small anymore.

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