U.S. nanomaterials demand to reach $35 bil. in 2020
After a decade-long buildup, nanotechnology is beginning to see its first commercial successes, although basic materials are grabbing the spotlight from more sensational early projections of cancer-killing nanobots and self-assembling automobiles. The development of nanoscale materials (e.g., substances with particle size between 1 and 100 nanometers) is a key step in the eventual production of more sophisticated nanomachines, nanoelectronics and nanomedical devices. In fact, the move toward nanotechnology is a continuation of ongoing miniaturization efforts in many industrial sectors. Research has flowed in two directions: reducing the size of existing manufacturing materials such as metal oxides through the use of new production technologies, and developing entirely new materials such as nanotubes and buckyballs that are intrinsically nanosized.
These and other trends are presented in Nanomaterials, a new study from The Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industrial market research firm.