Free Republic

Before man can cross the vast distances of space, the designs of spacecraft’s sails will be key – striking a delicate balance between mass, strength in addition to reflectivity. Working with NASA, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) scientists have created the fresh material out of silicon in addition to its oxide, silica. The team has figured out that will super-thin structures made of This specific composite can transform infrared light waves into a momentum that will would likely accelerate a probe to 134,000,000 mph. Speeds like This specific can carry a little probe to our closest stellar neighbours, a huddle...

A team of researchers in Germany has brought some good news to the debate on nano-material safety. The team took four materials containing nanoparticles or nanotubes and subjected them to high speed sanding, gentle abrasion and UV radiation, and found that the resulting dust was no finer than that from conventional materials. What's more, rats exposed to the fine dust fared no worse whether the material contained nano-components or not.With an eye on likely consumer exposure, Wendel Wohlleben and his colleagues at German chemical group BASF, in Ludwigshafen, studied two thermoplastic materials - polyoxymethylene (POM) and polyamide - as well...

MEPs have called for nanosilver and long multiwalled carbon nanotubes to be banned in electrical and electronic products. Members of the EU Environment Committee made the call as they voted on proposed amendments to the Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive. Their stance on nanomaterials was in addition to the EU proposals, and as well as asking for these two to be banned, they said that any electrical and electronic materials that contained nanomaterials of any nature should be labelled as such. Manufacturers would be compelled to provide the European Commission with safety data on any nanomaterials used.Nano nonsense?It remains unclear precisely...