Nanotechnology – taking it to the people

Box 1 | Putting nanopowders to work

One of the first Australian companies to operate in the nanotechnology sector was Advanced Powder Technology (now called Advanced Nanotechnology Limited). The company was established in 1997 to commercialise research carried out at the University of Western Australia on a process for manufacturing nanoparticles. The process is known as mechanochemical processing and involves grinding down powders in a ball mill and then heat treating them to create a wide range of high quality nanopowders. These powders are now being used in a variety of innovative products. These include:

  • ZinClear® – a transparent SPF 30+ sunscreen containing only zinc oxide as the UV absorber. Zinc oxide is considered to be the safest UV absorber that one can use on the skin and this product uses no other chemical UV absorbers.

  • NanoZ®  – a transparent UV blocking zinc oxide dispersion for the protection of timber - a similar concept to Zinclear® but applied to wood. Zinc oxide nanoparticles do not degrade in the sun so this coat provides long-lasting transparency and protection from UV damage.

  • Alusion®  – consists of platelets of aluminium oxide used in cosmetics to create soft focus effects and enhance the feel and adherence of colour cosmetics. It's claimed to work wonders at masking the effects of ageing.

  • Cercat™ - cerium oxide nanoparticle dispersions, a key component in Envirox™, a diesel fuel additive improves fuel consumption and also reduces harmful exhaust emissions.

Box
Box 2. Beyond the grey goo

Related site
Products (Antaria: An Advanced Materials World, Australia)

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Posted March 2006.