Published on October 05, 2005

Nanotechnology is considered by most to be novel and futuristic, and thus not capable of having any real impact on small and medium-sized enterprises in Thailand.

If you are one of those who still hold this conventional view, this article will serve as a wake-up call. The purpose of this article is threefold: to raise awareness of the multiple applications offered by nanotechnology, to provide up-to-date information on how nanotechnology is being used, and to propose what needs to be done.

Many have tried to define the term nanotechnology, but interpretation varies even among experts. The fact that standards bodies such as the International Organisation for Standardisation and the American National Standards Institute are still working on nano-related terminology and nomenclature indicates that a global consensus has not been reached. But do not let the slow progress of standards-setting fool you into thinking that nano is still a long way off. Nano is right here, and its impact will soon reach us all in ways never before imagined.

So what is a nanotechnology product? Basically, if it contains materials with at least one dimension in the range of 1 to 100 nanometers (1 nanometer is a billionth of a meter), and these materials are manufactured in a controlled environment and applied with a purpose, then it can be considered a real nanotechnology product. Nano-materials can have any shape, such as spherical like nano-silver, or tubular like carbon nanotubes. When applied as a mixture in traditional materials, the combined properties may change markedly and serve basic human needs in a way or to the scale that traditional materials alone cannot achieve.

Up until recently, nano-related products have been hard to find. But thanks to Samsung’s consumer products such as refrigerators and washing machines, an average person who reads newspapers or watches TV commercials is likely to be aware of nano-silver. And the upcoming iPod nano from Apple is sure to firmly establish the importance of nanotechnology in the minds of most teens. But such nano products are only manufactured by multinational corporations that are primarily interested in advanced gadgets, right?

Wrong! Our recent visit to Taiwan Nano Tech 2005 tells us that we are approaching the age of nano-everything, with different speeds in different industrial sectors. And everyone from multinationals to SMEs is doing it. Nanotechnology is no longer a niche. Its adoption is being embraced by an increasing number of industries. Showcased in the event were nano-applications in anything from raw materials – such as glass, metals, ceramics, leathers and textiles – to finished products such as bicycles, gloves, clothes, underpants and furniture. These, by all measures, are not technological products in a traditional sense. In other words, nanotechnology is being rapidly commoditised.

The range of nano-applications seems startling, almost unbelievable in some cases. This possibly explains why some have shunned nano-products altogether. It is this ignorance that may put businesses, Thai SMEs included, at risk. So what lies behind the wonderfully innovative properties associated with nano-materials?

While the answer to this question cannot be easily and briefly given in non-technical terms, it can be summed up that nano-materials when incorporated into gas, liquid, or solid compounds can exhibit a dramatic change from their hosts’ mechanical, electrical, chemical, optical or magnetic properties. It is the wide range of control of physical properties that nanotechnology offers that makes it so versatile, even invasive. This is why we are seeing more and more of anti-bacteria coating (nano-silver) applied in electrical appliances or blended with synthetic fibres to make hygienic garments. Other applications that were on show at Taiwan Nano Tech 2005 that may affect Thai industries include scratch-resistant nano-coating applied on the surfaces of woods, glasses, china and ceramic tiles.

Nanotechnology is quickly becoming an essential element in the value chain of most manufacturers. Industries must assess how nanotechnology can improve the well-being or happiness of their customers. Failure to do so will ensure a tough future for Thai SMEs, given the rapid commoditisation of micro- and nanotechnology in some lower labour-cost countries like China.

So how can Thai SMEs with little, if any, research and development experience even get started in nanotechnology? The answers lie in the upgrading of existing scientific infrastructure and continuous development of human resources geared towards industry needs.

Several Thai universities now provide nano-science and nanotechnology education at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. The Federation of Thai Industries has also formed the Nanotechnology Committee to raise the awareness of nanotechnology in various industries.

But in terms of upgrading scientific infrastructure, the government must do more. A lot more. There is a need for central infrastructure that can help with the design, production, characterisation and application of nano-materials. This requires expensive, advanced scientific instruments in which the government must invest for the long term.

It is important to realise that the purpose of having this expensive scientific equipment is not so that Thai SMEs can make new, fanciful technology products, but so that nanotechnology processes can be designed and implemented in traditional products, improving the competitiveness of existing industries.

Advanced nanotechnology infrastructure is a prerequisite for continued existence of many manufacturing industries. The time for the government to invest is now.

Songphol Kanjanachuchai, Katiya Greigarn

Songphol Kanjanachuchai serves in the Nano-engineering Undergraduate Programme Committee, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University. Katiya Greigarn is the chairman of the Federation of Thai Industries’ Nanotechnology Committee. Both participated in the Taiwan Nano Tech 2005 in Taipei last month.

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