ON Nanotechnology in Consumer Products by Nanoforum - RECOMMENDED

Michael Gleiche, Holger Hoffschulz & Steve Lenhart, "Nanotechnology in Consumer Products," Nanoforum report, October 2006 http://www.nanoforum.org/ - RECOMMENDED.

Everyone is talking about nanotechnology in products. We had a list that first appeared in the end notes of an ETC Report and referenced an EPA index. Then we had a list put together by the Woodrow Wilson Pew Project. And we have had mini-listings appearing in a myriad of articles on nano. Now, we have the NANOFORUM REPORT.

This report is different from the rest because they were less concerned about a list and more about explaining how and why nanoscience has made inroads into product lines. They rightly note that the brand "nano" is nearly synonymous with "new" and "innovative" and call for some standardization to help separate the wheat from the chaff. I am trying to follow, as best I can, the Nanomark project in Taiwan which is attempting to mark the real from the faux nanoproducts.

This report characterized the primary application as interface effects and on pp. 8-17 cover how nanoparticles can be used to make surfaces easier to clean, anti-microbial, UV protective, etc. What follows is a brief examination of some quantum-mechanical effects, such as tunneling and GMR-TMR (magneto-resistance), fluorescence, etc. On pp. 20-28, they discuss applications in textiles, care products, consumer electronics, sports equipment, and household products.

The last 8 pages of this report answer the questions I get about what products have nano incorporated into them which the earlier material (8-17) do a good job explaining why.

At times, this report shifts into a technical registry, but it is mostly accessible to the average readers without a graduate level scientific background.

Finally, this is a plug for the Nanoforum Gateway. I go there regularly to update what's happening in the nano world and find it Europe's best source of nano information.