Page 6 - EngineerIt February 2021

TECHNOLOGY

Nano Technology fuels

sustainable economic growth

outh Africa is one of the few consumer products, water, information technology and energy. It is capable of changing
countries from the global south the way almost everything is designed and made and has proven the potential to make
Sthat has adopted things lighter, stronger, more efficient and more effective.
nanotechnology with the aim of Nanotechnology is not a product but rather a science. It is not about breaking
enhancing global competitiveness and structures into small particles but rather a science of building materials by manipulating
sustainable economic growth. The one atom at a time into nano-blocks with varying properties. The functions of
approval of the National nanoparticles or materials are largely based on surface area and surface tension. A
Nanotechnology Strategy in 2005 was particle broken down into the nanoscale multiplies its surface area by a factor of
an important milestone in South Africa’s millions. At a nanoscale, materials behave differently in terms of light absorption,
quest to use nanotechnology to address refraction ratios, reaction to absorption, reaction to magnetic forces, and catalytic
a wide range of social and economic activity depending on the molecular structure.
challenges in country.
The establishment of the South Africa is a leading player in nanotechnology
Nanotechnology Innovation Centres The CSIR NIC is hosted at the CSIR Centre for Nanostructures and Advanced
(NICs), based at Mintek and the Council Materials (CeNAM) and focusses on the development of new materials using
for Scientific and Industrial Research nanotechnology and on the applications of nanotechnology in the manufacturing,
(CSIR) in 2007, spearheaded the materials, and health sectors.
creation of programmes focusing on At the CeNAM, ground-breaking research has resulted in the development of
human capital development and on sensors that are now applied in breath analysers that can monitor the glucose level of
growing the nanoscience and
nanotechnology research base. In a
short period, the objectives to use
nanotechnology to address the country’s
challenges in the areas of water, health
and energy, as well as to give a
competitive edge to some of the
country’s strategic industries (mining
and minerals, advanced materials and
manufacturing, and chemicals and
bioprocessing) have been realised.
The name “nanotechnology” comes
from the Greek word nano, which
means dwarf. It is a relatively new
technology that studies or possesses the
ability to systematically organise and
manipulate properties and behaviour of
matter, and even builds matter at the
atomic and molecular levels. It may be
seen as the next technological rush
since the Silicon Valley electronic
miniaturisation explosion.
Nanotechnology is about using the
properties that emerge from materials at
a scale of one-billionth of a metre. It is
the exploitation of the ability to control
matter at dimensions between 0,1 and
100 nm, resulting in unique
functionalities. It has broad applications
in performance materials, health, Graphene synthesised at the CSIR Centre for Nanostructures Laboratory

EngineerIT | February 2021 | 4