Nanotubes

Nanotubes

In science news, the term nanotechnology can often be heard, but what is nanotechnology and what is it made of? Nanotechnology refers to a field of science that deals with things near the size of one billionth of a meter. This is almost impossible to comprehend, considering the human eye can not see anything that small. These ridiculously small objects are made out of nanomaterials. One of the most common materials for nanotechnology is the nanotube. There are two types of nanotubes; the more commonly used organic nanotube made of carbon, and the more recently developed inorganic nanotube made of non-carbon atoms.

In science news, the term nanotechnology can often be heard, but what is nanotechnology and what is it made of? Nanotechnology refers to a field of science that deals with things near the size of one billionth of a meter. This is almost impossible to comprehend, considering the human eye can not see anything that small. These ridiculously small objects are made out of nanomaterials. One of the most common materials for nanotechnology is the nanotube. There are two types of nanotubes; the more commonly used organic nanotube made of carbon, and the more recently developed inorganic nanotube made of non-carbon atoms.Imagine that you shrunk down to one billionth of your size, and you became a nano-sized person. You would be able to see the structure of these nanotubes. If you unrolled a carbon nanotube you would see a flat sheet of carbons atoms arranged in hexagonal or pentagonal rings. Each carbon would be a vertex and the bonds would be the sides of the hexagons or pentagons. The nanotube itself looks like a seamless water pipe, constructed of these carbon rings.

Imagine that you shrunk down to one billionth of your size, and you became a nano-sized person. You would be able to see the structure of these nanotubes. If you unrolled a carbon nanotube you would see a flat sheet of carbons atoms arranged in hexagonal or pentagonal rings. Each carbon would be a vertex and the bonds would be the sides of the hexagons or pentagons. The nanotube itself looks like a seamless water pipe, constructed of these carbon rings.This tube is about 10,000 times thinner than a human hair, but, despite its size, it has remarkable physical properties. Nanotubes, depending on their structure, have different useful properties. Nanotubes are as strong as diamonds and can be made into good conductors of heat and electricity and semi-conductors. The application of these tubes seems to be limitless. Due to the physical strength of nanotubes, scientists are trying to make bullet- and stab-proof vests. If the nanotubes are arranged in sheets, they could be used as lighting insulators for windows with the ability to conduct heat and defrost themselves, not to mention a computer screen that could be rolled up like a sheet of paper.

It is safe to say that the world will see more of nanotechnology in the news. Through the manipulation of nanotubes, scientists are able to achieve many desired properties, which, in turn, create new products that will perhaps some day become a part of everyday life.