SIZE NOT ONLY MATTERS, IT'S EVERYTHING: Tiny particles, big hype Nanotechnology applications in automotive are set to shift into high gear

摘要

Like you have always heard, size does matter, Excruciatingly small size, that is, for the science of nanotechnology. Take the page on which you are reading this story. Level it to your eyes so you're able to view its thickness. Nanotechnology is the science of manipulating matter that is at least 1,000 times smaller than the thickness of the paper. Although there are many measures for small-sized things, we'll limit our discussion of size in this shadowy, molecular discipline to nanometers - one-billionth of a meter. Take a household yardstick and divide it a billion times and you've got a nanometer, essentially The nano "world," says the U.S. Dept of Energy, begins with things that are no larger than 100 nanometers - 1/1,000th the thickness of paper - and extends to 1 nanometer, or something just 1/100,000th the thickness of paper.