Nanotechnology. Introduction: What is it? What are the risks? What are the uses?

Nanotechnology.

Introduction:

What is it?

What are the risks?

What are the uses?

Nanotechnology.

What nanotechnology is

Nano = billionth of something.

Creating and changing.

Pushing the limits.

Nanotechnology.

Risks of nanotechnology

Can cause serious damage.

3 reasons:

More reactive Can accumulate Lack of knowledge

Company policy.

Lack of leadership and organisation.

Nanotechnology.

Uses of nanotechnology

Health:- Detecting & curing cancer

Computers:- nano-sizing microchips for data storage

Electricity: - cheap solar panels

Construction:- ultra light and ultra strong materials

Nanotechnology.

- Nanotechnology in health

Nano-sized protein detectors:detect protein imbalances that point to cancer

Gold ‘nanoshells’ to treat tumours:harmless nanoparticles which kill tissuearound them when heating up under IR light

Nanotechnology.

- Nanotechnology in computers:

IBM’s Millipede memory device:microscopic data storage chip

Nanotechnology.

- Nanotechnology in electricity

Solar panels:- simply painting nanocrystals on metal foil- nanocrystals can be grown very cheaply- very flexible solar panels

Nanotechnology.

- Nanotechnology in construction

Incredibly strong and light materials

Carbon nanotubes:- can carry more than a million times their own weight- very light: 100 g of it can cover about 1/2 hectare

Nanotechnology.

Discussion questions

Do you think the usefulness of nanotechnology outweigh the risks, or vice versa?

Do you think that products that already use nanotechnology are safe? Would you use them?

Do you know any products that already use nano-sized particles?

Nanotechnology.

Gap exercises

1. Research can ____________ (seemingly contradictory) add to the problem. 2. Nanomaterials also offer huge ________ (possibilities) for making better batteries, generating green energy and producing clean water.

3. Moreover, _______ (even though there have been) hundreds of years of experience in chemistry, it is not easy to predict how a substance will behave when it is made extremely small.

4. These particles can also be __________ (designed and constructed) into shapes that provide some functional property, like _______ (stiffness).

paradoxically

potential

despite

engineered

rigidity

Nanotechnology.

Gap exercises

5. At such small sizes, silver can have ____________ (germ-killing) properties.

6. The European Commission concluded that each new material should be _________ (evaluated) on a “case by case basis”.

7. Some ________ (taking small quantities for tests) of ________ (floating in the air) particles is done, but it is still not clear what should be _________ (kept under surveillance).

antimicrobial

assessed

sampling airborne

monitored

Nanotechnology.

Translation exercises

1. Many products are now embedded with silver nanoparticles.

2. At the moment, firms with product-liability insurance are implicitly insured for their nanoparticles.

3. There was a pressing need for a strategic programme of spending.

4. Nanoparticulate versions of a material can act in novel ways.

5. Titanium dioxide is commonly used as the white pigment in sunscreen.