Updating nanotech a little

摘要

The still-emerging science of nanotechnology is especially relevant to packagers because many early adoptions of this exciting new technology are for packaging and food uses. "Nanotechnology" refers to the intentional engineering of substances into particles of 100 nanometers or smaller (though definitions vary). When you intentionally make particles very small, they can perform differently than the same substance in traditional-sized particles. All masses being equal, there is more surface area on the nano particle than on the larger particle, which can affect chemical and physical properties. That can be great news for engineers trying to use familiar substances to make a thinner coating or a stronger substrate. The big questions are whether the nano-scale version is the same substance as its traditionally sized counterpart, and whether it's comparably safe.