Nano goes macro

摘要

It's heard all the time in the automotive industry: the stated goals of almost any vehicle development program are to cut cost, weight, and emissions from the vehicle while at the same time improving its performance, efficiency, and durability. Though there may be no panacea for all of the above, many believe that nanotechnology—the science of manipulating materials at an atomic, molecular, or supramolecular scale, in the approximate length range of 1-100 nm (0.04-4.0 μin)— can positively affect each of those targets. The exception, at least initially, may be the cost issue.