Key Concepts in Materials and Nanotechnology

Chemical Elements

These are the fundamental building blocks from which all matter is composed.

Chemicals

This is a substance that cannot be separated into its components by physical processes.

Alloys

Artificial mixtures made from two or more chemical elements or compounds.

Composites

Composite materials made from two or more components that have very different physical and chemical properties, and which together form a substance with properties different from those of its separate components.

Metal Extraction System

Metals are obtained basically by two industrial processes: heat or electricity. In both processes, this is done via a chemical reaction called reduction, in which the pure metal is obtained by separating it from the compound where it is combined with a non-metal.

Electrolysis

The process of decomposition of a chemical compound using electricity (reduction).

Artificial Materials

Materials where the raw material is made from other substances or materials which in turn underwent a process of elaboration from other substances or materials.

Polymerization

A process in which polymers composed of monomers are formed for plastics manufacture.

Fullerene

A molecule composed of 60 carbon atoms that may take the form of a ball. It can contain a dose of a particular substance and, upon reaching an infected cell, allows the ball to break.

Nanotube

A structure that can be shaped like a tube.

Nanowires

If boron is added to a nanotube, it can become a conductor or a semiconductor (nano-switches).

Nanotechnology

An applied science that addresses the design, manufacture, and application of materials and devices at the nanoscale.

Applications of Nanotechnology

Electrical Applications

• Flexible batteries (using carbon nanotubes)
• LEDs (replacing traditional bulbs)

Applications in Electronics

• Nanochips

Applications in Medicine and Pharmacy

• Buckyballs (Fullerenes)

Applications in the Textile Industry

• Manufacturing of fabrics that repel liquids

Applications in Architecture and Town Planning

• Coatings protecting glass walls or paint from graffiti
• Photochromic glasses (change color depending on incident light)
• Ceramics (for manufacturing medical devices that repel liquids, avoid dust, and prevent bacteria deposition)