Activity 5.2.3 Exploring Nano-Products
Introduction
The consumer world is exploding with “nanotechnology-enhanced”
products. Currently numerous products on the market are the result of
nanotechnology. For athletes, we have tennis balls that last longer, tennis rackets
that are stronger, golf balls that fly straighter, nano ski wax that is easier to apply
and more effective than standard wax, and bowling balls that are harder. These
products all use nanostructured materials to provide enhanced performance.
There are also nano products available to keep your eyewear and other optical
devices cleaner, dryer, and more durable. In the clothing world, we have pants that
repel water, shirts that won’t stain, shoe inserts that keep you cool in the summer
and warm in the winter, and nano socks that don’t “stink” due to the inclusion of
nanotech materials (nano-sized silver particles). Nano-ceramic coatings are being
used on photo quality picture paper to deliver sharper, higher quality “homemade”
digital photo reproductions on your ink jet printer.
A tremendous amount of electronic applications affect our everyday lives. Just take
a trip to your local electronics store, and you will see a multitude of electronic
applications, including faster and more powerful computers, palm pilots
(blackberries), flash drives, digital cameras, cell phones, LCDs, LEDs, MP3s,
electronic ink displays, thin film batteries, flexible electronics, etc. All of these
applications are possible and affordable due to the ability to work effectively and
efficiently at the nano-scale.
The biotech world also has many real world applications currently in use or under
development that are, or will be, affecting our quality of life. Bandages embedded
with silver nanoparticles are used for healing wounds. We now have drug delivery
via a patch. Man-made skin is a nanofabricated network and is presently in use for
skin graft applications. Some other nanotechnology applications which are currently
under development in the biotech world are diabetic insulin biocapsules,
pharmaceuticals using buckyball technology to selectively deliver drugs, and cancer
therapies using targeted radioactive biocapsules.
The world around us is filled with applications made possible through
nanotechnology. Don’t believe it? Look around! You won’t have to look far before
these applications become evident to you. Nanotechnology is influencing the
development of diverse fields; among these are electronics, biotechnology, and
consumer applications. From tennis balls to bandages to palm pilots,
nanotechnology is making a significant impact on the jobs that we perform and the
products that we enjoy.
Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Copyright 2011
GTT – Unit 5 – Lesson 2 – Activity 5.2.3 – Exploring Nano-Products – Page 1
In this activity you will have an opportunity to explore many nanotechnology products
available today. You will determine how the properties of a nano-product make it
different from a non nano-product.
Equipment
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Engineering notebook
Pencil
Nano-Products kits
Computer with presentation software and Internet access (optional)
Procedure
Your teacher will divide your class into 9 groups. Your group will explore the
assigned nano-product and present what you have learned to the rest of the class.
1. Pass out the reading material, fact sheet, experiment sheet, and the bag with
nano-product experiment materials to each group.
2. Read the material, study the product, and follow the directions to conduct the
experiment.
3. Conduct the experiment. Keep a log of what you did in the engineering notebook
section of your GTT notebook.
4. Discuss in your group and prepare a short presentation about the nanoenhanced product.
5. Be able to share with the class:
 What is the product?
 What is the product used for?
 What is “nano” about the product?
 How does the product work?
 Are the claims from the company accurate?
 How is the product different from its non-nano counterparts?
 Share three other interesting facts about the product.
6. Present to the class. While other groups are presenting, summarize what you
learn about other nano-products in your engineering notebook.
Conclusion
1. What nano-products do you currently use?
2. What nano-products are you more interested in using now that you know about
them? Why?
Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Copyright 2011
GTT – Unit 5 – Lesson 2 – Activity 5.2.3 – Exploring Nano-Products – Page 2
3. How do you think nano-products might affect your life in 5 years?
4. How do you think nano-products might affect your life in 25 years?
Project Lead The Way, Inc.
Copyright 2011
GTT – Unit 5 – Lesson 2 – Activity 5.2.3 – Exploring Nano-Products – Page 3