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Showing posts from 2016

New Way of Deaf-Mute Communication with 3D Graphene

Image retrieved from: http://blogs.rsc.org/cc/2016/09/01/3d-graphene-adds-dimension-to-deaf%E2%80%93mute-communication/ Chinese scientists have developed wearable electronic device with conductive 3D graphene structure to translate sign language into written text. This technology can be applied by injecting graphene ink from a syringe under printed electronic field. For medical field, such as adhesive patches which determine heart, brain signal and neural activity, wearable and bio-integrated medical devices are very important. Due to noticeable properties of cast graphene, for example a 2D honeycomb lattice, excellent mechanical and electrical behaviors, Graphene has an important material in warble technology. However, it is difficult to preserve advantages of Graphene material in a 3D material which has an information about forces from every angle. Yanlin Song  and co-workers at the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, and Shenyang Jianzhu University, Sh

Graphene and Silly Putty

Graphene and Silly Putty http://nanografi.com/blog/graphene-and-silly-putty/

Nanomaterials in Construction Industry

Nanomaterials in Construction Industry Image retrieved from: http://irannano.org/filereader.php?p1=main_f60512bd610678bba2d5d4838b7f4c19.JPG&p2=pr_brand&p3=21&p4=2 In modern construction field, most common used materials are concrete, glass, steel and timbers.  By the help of the improvement in nanotechnology, materials at nano scale offer enhanced properties for construction purposes.  Because, nano-materials can suddenly exhibit different properties compared to macro-scale. For example, Carbon Nanotube, one of the important nanomaterials, indicates 150 times higher strength value and approximately six times lighter than steel.   Studies in nano composites for improvement in cement performance are very important for construction industry. The materials such as Nano-Titania (TiO 2 ), Carbon Nanotube, Nano Silica (SiO 2 ) and Nano-Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) can be combined with cement. These materials are densifying

Specifications of Dysprosium Rare Earth Element

·          * French chemist Paul Emilie Lecoq de Boisbaudran found the element of Dysprosium in 1886. He obtained Dysprosium Rare Earth Element through separating it from Holmium Oxide . ·          * Dysprosium Rare Earth Element is also a rare earth metal which is included in Lanthanide element family. Dysprosium   Rare Earth Element's atomic weight is 162.50. ·          * Dysprosium Rare Earth Element is bright, soft and silvery-white element is considered to be mildly toxic and acts        stable in room temperature. Dysprosium Rare Earth Element’s reaction with air happens very slowly. ·          * Dysprosium Rare Earth Element can be found in different minerals. ·          * Since this Dysprosium Rare Earth Element is useful for neutron absorbing, it is used in dysprosium-oxide-nickel cement and it is used in Nuclear Energy Industry. Like other, Dysprosium is also useful for magnet production.    * Dysprosium Rare Earth Element is also used in data storage application

Specifications of Gallium Metal

*In 1875 in Paris, Paul E. Lecoq de Boisbaudran discovered Gallium metal which has the chemical symbol of Ga. *Atomic weight of this silvery-blue metal is 69.723 and Gallium is included in other metals group.  *Gallium element is considered to be non –toxic and no important harmful effect has been detected in industrial usage.  *Gallium element is a silvery, glass-like, soft metal and in periodic table it is very close to nonmetals. Gallium is one of a few metals which have liquid form.  *Gallium melting point 29.76 °C . So, Gallium element is liquescent in room temperatures.  *Just like water, gallium also becomes larger when it freezes.  *Gallium material is very useful in Surgical Instruments Manufacturing and health applications. Gallium metal may also be used in different alloys.  *Gallium arsenide is a very important substance for the production activities of semiconductors.  http://nanografi.com/special-materials/gallium-99-99-metals-basis/

No friction with the help of GRAPHENE!

It was known that diamonds are already one of the hardest natural substances. But if diamoınd combine with graphene, nanoparticles can be slippery and it can be useful if you want to reduce friction in a moving machine. Scientist showed that the combination of tiny bits of diamond and graphene that had superlubricity. This means that the friction between them and another object dropped to near zero. Reducing friction, or making things more slippery could have benefits beyond just making it easier for objects to move around. For example "nearly one-third of a vehicle's fuel energy is spent on overcoming engine, transmission, and tire friction." Reduce the friction, reduce the amount of fuel used. Diamond nanoparticles contact with the thin sheets of graphene and the graphene rolled up around the diamond nanoparticles, creating scroll or ball like structures. This specific structure makes the superlubricity possible right now, but researchers hope that they can e

“Slice” or “Substrate”, in other words WAFER!

A wafer, also called a slice or substrate . It is actually a thin piece of semiconductor material, such as a crystalline silicon. It is mostly used in electronics for the fabrication of integrated circuits and in photovoltaics for conventional, wafer-based solar cells. The wafer serves as the substrate for microelectronic devices. Today silicon chips are everywhere. Some microfabrication process step like doping or ion implantation, etching, deposition of various materials, and photolithographic patterning are applied. . Finally the individual microcircuits are separated (dicing) and packaged. Wafers are formed of  highly pure (99.9999999% purity ), nearly defect-free single crystalline material.  Ultrabook devices, smartphones, tablets, high performance computing, data centers included this material.  Engineers automate factories and are embedded in automobiles and everyday devices. The most sophisticated processor can contain hundreds of millions or billions of transistors inte

Carbon Nanotube is only way to turn your big dream into reality!

http://nanografi.com/blog/carbon-nanotube-is-only-way-to-turn-your-big-dream-into-reality/ For the last decade, engineers and scientists have tried to use the unique properties of carbon nanotubes to create high-performance electronics devices that are faster or energetically more efficient. That means longer battery life and higher speed of electronic devices such as laptops, smartphones. Until now, silicon and gallium arsenide used in computer chips and personal electronics . Engineers from University of Wisconsin-Madison material science achieved current that's 1.9 times higher than silicon transistors. Michael Arnold who is head of this research team, said that "This achievement has been a dream of nanotechnology for the last 20 years,". Also he claimed that carbon nanotube transistors that are better than silicon transistors is a big milestone. As to extrapolations from single nanotube measurements, carbon nanotube transistors should be abl

New trend material for food packaging = Nanoclay!

http://nanografi.com/blog/new-trend-material-for-food-packaging-nanoclay/ Food packaging plays a vital role in preserving food throughout the distribution chain. A package provides protection, resistance, and special physical, chemical, or biological needs.    In recent years, the development of novel food packaging (modified atmosphere & active packaging) has increased the shelf life of foods. Moreover, their safety and quality  has increased parallely. Nanotechnology offers several advantages to food packaging industry. For example, barrier resistance, functional performance increase with nanotechnology. A recent trend is to use nanocomposites materials for food-packaging applications. Nanoclay is one the most popular material used in food packaging industry. Small plate-shaped particles of clay, 1nm thick and 1,000nm in diameter. These tiny partciles are embedded into the plastics normally used for packaging, such as polypropylene and polyethylene. ·          I

DANCING BLACK SPHERES!

Nanotechnology  takes attention in the recent past. There are several applications of nanoparticles have entered into a variety of fields such as electronics, optic, cosmetics, medicine and biotechnology. Zirconium  is one the most popular nanoparticle.It is a very strong, malleable, ductile, lustrous silver-gray metal. Its chemical and physical properties are similar to those of   titanium. Also, zirconium is  extremely resistant to heat and corrosion . Moreover, zirconium is lighter than  steel  and its hardness is similar to  copper . Zirconium powder is black and is regarded as very dangerous fire hazard. Zirconium does not dissolve in acids and alkalis. Zirconium (atomic symbol: Zr, atomic number: 40) is a Block D, Group 4, Period 5 element with an atomic weight of 91.224. Zirconium silicate is the principal mineral of elemental zirconium. Zirconium is commercially produced as a byproduct of titanium and tin mining and has many applications as a  opacifier and a refra

Modern Antibacterials: Nanoparticles!

An  antimicrobial  is an agent that kills microorganisms or inhibits their growth. There are several industry depends on antibacterial agents like  textile industry, water disinfection, medicine, and food packaging . Organic compounds used for  disinfection  have some disadvantages such as toxicity to the human body. Therefore, the interest in inorganic disinfectants such as metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs) is increasing. One of the most important inorganic disinfectant nanoparticles is  Silver (Ag).  Silver ions or salts are well known, but the effects of Ag nanoparticles on microorganisms has received considerable attention in the past few years in the field of microbiology and biotechnology. The antimicrobial activity of Ag nanoparticles was investigated against  yeast,  Escherichia coli , and  Staphylococcus aureus . First advantage of Ag is that it is a  bacterial growth inhibitor . Ag nanoparticles inhibit growth of these microorganisms. This inhibition come from the free-rad

Nanoparticles For Drug Delivery: Silicon Nanoparticles!

Drug delivery  technology  has received considerable attention in the past few years in the field of biomedical nanotechnology. Drug delivery implies that the approaches, technologies, process and systems for transporting a pharmaceutical compound in the body as needed. Drug delivery system is related with the quality, quantity and duration of drug presence. It is also concerned with scientific site of pharmaceutical compounds within the body. That means proper drug delivery system must transport pharmaceutical compounds with proper quantity into the accurate sites of the body. Drug delivery is often approached via a drug's chemical formulation, but it may also involve medical devices or drug-device combination products. Silicon (Si) is a biomaterial, one of the most frequent elements in the earth’s crust.A range of methods can be applied for the fabrication of porous Si, such as chemical stain etching, chemical vapor etching, laser-induced etching, metal-assisted etching, spark

Future of Solar Cells with Nanotechnology

We mentioned in our “Harvesting Solar Power with Nanomaterials” blog how the introduction of nanomaterials in solar technology improves the efficiency, and reduces the cost of solar systems. This is due to the unique properties of the nanomaterials which lead to band gap adjustments, higher absorption, and less charge recombination. Here, we discover the new features that nanotechnology can introduce to the solar cells and solar technology. Extensive research have been done in different universities and facilities to develop solar cells and to introduce new materials in order to improve their performance and create new properties such as flexibility, transparency, and self-cleaning. Flexibility is a new and important property of solar cells that can be achieved by nanotechnology. An example of these research, is the research done in MIT to develop solar cells that are made from single molecule thick sheets of graphene and other nanomaterials such as molybdenum diselenide (MoSe2). Th

Carbon Nanotubes work as Plant Growth Inducer!

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)  are not only an alloptrope of carbon but also an important materials in biological sciences. There are several unique properties of carbon nanotubes.They show extraordinary strength and unique electrical properties. Moreover they work as efficient conductors of heat. They take their names from their size, since the diameter of a nanotube is on the order of a few nanometers. They are approximately 50,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Furthermore, they can be up to several millimeters in length. Beside these important properties, carbon nanotubes  induce plant cell growth . For example, Tomato plant grown in soil supplemented with CNTs produce two times more   flowers and fruit  compared to plants grown in control soil (Khodakovskaya et al, 2012). Another experimental data from Tiwari et al. (2013) stated that while carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been shown to dramatically  improve germination  of some comestible plants, deficiencies in co

The importance of Cerium Rare Earth Element

*Cerium the second element in the Lanthanide series. This rare earth element is the most abundantly prevalent rare earth element. *Cerium element was named for the asteroid Ceres, this rare earth metal was discovered in 1801. Cerium rare earth element is discovered in 1803 by Klaproth and by Berzelius and Hisinger. *Cerium rare earth element is found some minerals including allanite,monazite, bastnasite, cerite, and samarskite. Today, monazite and bastnasite are more important sources of cerium rare earth element. In addition cerium metal is more abundant than Lead metal in earth’s crust. *Cerium rare earth metal is considered to be moderately toxic. And Cerium fire produce a harmful gas if pour water on it. *The metal tarnishes in moist air and reacts with water to form cerium hydroxide plus hydrogen gas. Small particles of the metal may ignite if a knife scratches the pure metal surface. *When cerium-lanthanum alloy uses with a sum of neodymium and praseodymium rare e

FUEL CELLS DEVELOPMENT WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY

Fuel cells are energy conversion systems that converts chemical energy on fuels directly into electric energy. This is achieved by oxidation-reduction (redox) reaction rather than combustion reaction which is used in the conventional methods for electric energy production. Hydrogen and alcohols such as methanol are the type of fuels that are used in fuel cells. Fuel cells are considered the 21 st  century technology for the production of electric energy. This is due to its high efficiency, low emission, safety, and silence. However, issues include cost, durability, and conversion efficiency are among the reasons for not using fuel cells in daily applications. Nanotechnology and nanomaterials introduce solutions for the fuel cells issues that could make them one of the best method for the electric energy production in the near future. The solutions embrace the introduction of new materials and catalysts that increase the conversion efficiency of fuels, increase the durability, and d

Microscopic partiles = Nanoparticles!

Nanoparticles  start to be very popular over the last decade. What are these tiny materials? A nanoparticle (or nanopowder or nanocluster or nanocrystal) means that a microscopic particle. It was at least one dimension less than 100 nm. Several area such as  biomedical, optical, and electronic fields  use these materials in wide variety of potential applications. Current several scientific research mainly concentrated on these materials. Since their size are nearly nanoscale and as the percentage of atoms at the surface of a material becomes significant the properties of materials change. Moreover,when it was compared with the bulk material, nanoparticle exhibits a number of special properties. Another key property is that nanoparticles have a very  high surface area to volume ratio. Thanks to this property, nanoparticles have a tremendous driving force for diffusion ability, especially at elevated temperatures. They also have  unique optical properties . Nanoparticles often possess u

The Effect of Gadolinium Powder in Our Lives

*Gadolinium powder is discovered by Jean Charles Galissard de Marignac in 1880. This powder is relatively stable in dry air. It does however oxidize in moisture forming oxides. Gadolinium is not found free in nature, therefore it is not a native metal. Gadolinium powder can be found in minerals such as xenotime and monazite. * Gadolinium is a rare earth metal that possesses unique properties advantageous to specialized applications such as semiconductor fabrication and nuclear reactor shielding.It is very effective for absorbing neutrons, so it is very useful in nuclear reactors.Gadolinium has a very fast burnout rate and has limited use as a nuclear control rod material. * Gadolinium powder has applications in electronics to increase the speed and capacity of computer memory. Also it is used in making Magnets, electronic components. * Gadolinium has excellent magnetic properties. It is paramagnetic at room temperature, but becomes strongly magnetic or ferromagnetic(strongly att

Facts about Europium Powder

*Europium is the least abundant of the rare earth elements. It is also the most reactive one. Europium is found in many minerals such as xenotime, monazite, bastnasite, and loparite. It is not found in nature as a free element.Europium was isolated in 1901 and is named after the continent of Europe. *Europium is silvery metal that instantly oxidizes in air. It is the most reactive of the rare earth metals and ignites in air at temperatures in excess of 150 degree to 180 degree. Europium resembles calcium in its reaction with water. Also, Europium metal is the most reactive metal of all rare earth elements. *Europium is about as hard as lead and is quite ductile. *Europium is considered to be mildly toxic. Europium powder is considered to be a fire and explosion hazard. *Europium is used in the printing of euro banknotes. It glows red under UV light, and forgeries can be detected by the lack of this red glow. *Europium powder is used for low-energy light bulbs, thus europium

Specifications of Thulium Rare Earth Element

* Thulium element is a rare earth element with symbol Tm. And its atomic number is 69. Thulium rare earth element was discovered by Per Teodor Cleve in 1879. * This rare earth element bright, soft and malleable silver-gray element.It can be cut by a knife.Thulium is a rare earth metal and is one of the least abundant. * Thulium rare earth metal become dulles slowly in dry air to form the oxide. Also this rare earth metal reacts with water to form the hydroxide and hydrogen gas. Especially thulium powder which has high purity is very effective for reacting air and water. * Thulium rare earth element is considered to be non-toxic.  * Radioactive isotope of this rare earth element(170Tm) is produced by bombarding thulium in a nuclear reactor. It has a half-life of 128 days.Also it is used as a movable source of x-rays.  * Thulium rare earth element is used for doping yttrium aluminum garnets (YAG) used in lasers.  * Thulium rare earth element is used in alloys with other rare earth met

Lanthanum: It's Applications and Uses

Humankind has been performing the use of metals in a diverse area and applications. Earlier times, humanity used these metals for producing hunting weapons and defending oneself. Nowadays applications extend their use in industrial area, multiple robotic equipment, defense ammo, etc. Therefore, we encounter use of lanthanum in many areas. Lanthanum is one of the rare earth elements. It is a soft, ductile, silvery-white metallic chemical element with symbol La and atomic number 57. Lanthanum was first found by the Swedish chemist Carl Gustav Mosander. When we examine benefits of lanthanum, we encounter interesting area. * Lanthanum element does not have commercial uses, but its alloys are so popular. Lanthanum is used in large quantities in nickel metal hydride rechargeable batteries for hybrid automobiles. Today, a Toyota Prius hybrid car on the road carries with it about 4.5 kg of lanthanum. These cars have nickel-lanthanum hydride batteries. Also, these batteries are about twice as

Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers in Water Purification

Image Retriewed From: http://www.farmaceuticas.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ecaw-biocida-agua.jpg Water purification  is a main process of removing undesirable materials, chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids and gases from contaminated water. The main aim is to produce water fit for a specific purpose. Most water is disinfected for human consumption ( drinking water ), but water purification may also be designed for a variety of other purposes, including fulfilling the requirements of medical, pharmacological, chemical and industrial applications. Substances that are removed during the process include parasites (such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium), bacteria, algae, viruses, fungi, minerals (including toxic metals such as Lead, Copper etc.), and man-made chemical pollutants. Many contaminants can be dangerous—but depending on the quality standards, others are removed to improve the water's smell, taste, and appearance. Actually there are sev