Home > Nanotechnology Columns > NanoLandGlobal > How can nano technologies help companies ‘go green'?
 |
Powered by NanoLandGlobal Article is from our Authourized Partners |
Abstract:
In the relentless drive towards sustainability, energy conservation, reduced waste and toxicity, and emission reductions, nanotechnologies are not an option, but an essential new infrastructure enabling savvy companies to protect their Brand and core ethos value, reduce operational costs and adopt even more energy efficient and ethical environmental practices.
February 4th, 2012
How can nano technologies help companies ‘go green'?
Nanotechnologies and nanoscience offer today (and in the future) numerous applications to enhance the concept of green buildings. Advances in coatings alone include:
. Self-cleaning coatings
. Anti-stain coatings
. De-polluting surfaces
. Scratch-resistant coatings
. Anti-fogging and anti-icing coatings
. Antimicrobial coatings
. UV protection
. Anti-corrosion coatings
. Moisture resistance insulation
. Abrasion protection coatings
. Vibration-noise barriers
These coatings can reduce costs in contract cleaning: labour around 40%, water around 40%, aggressive cleaning chemicals 75-100% and help make work areas more healthy and germ free.
When it comes to machinery (with bearings, pistons or gears), nano coatings help reduce maintenance cycles, lower emissions, reduce maintenance (i.e. maintaining lift cables & pulleys) and offer vehicle fleet operators fuel savings of around 11%.
Even quality of life can be enhanced. Emergency generators can be extremely noisy in urban areas when in operation. By adding a thin film coating to their surface, vibration noise can be prevented.
Insulation using thin film coatings now offers enormous value to the drive towards environmental offices and green buildings. Architects, Board members, property and facility managers really need to appreciate the compelling value offered by thin film insulation. Aero-gels and thin-film insulation coatings prevent internal heat loss whilst deflecting UV light and heat away from buildings in hot sunlight, significantly reducing property energy needs.
The property sector over the next decade will awake to improvements in adhesives where inexpensive chemicals can be deployed in construction to bond materials.
In fact structural materials, i.e., steel, wood, concrete etc will be functionally adopted by nanotechnologies to work smarter, longer, and stronger with less cost. Glass, plastics and polymers, drywall and roofing will all be uniquely impacted over the next few years with developments in nanoscience that will revolutionize sustainability programmes.
Lighting is a major energy absorber. Worldwide, buildings consume between 30 and 40 percent of the worldˇ¦s electricity. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs), Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), and Quantum dot lighting will change the industry as we know it today, significantly lowering energy usage. Compliance to new energy laws will accelerate these technologies, but savvy companies will adopt these technologies today.
Nanotechnologies are emerging technologies that will impact society over time. Clean water is one of the worldˇ¦s most scare resources. Around 1% of the total global water supply is drinkable! Hence any serious corporate green initiative should include water conservation strategies. Nano-cleaning methodologies help reduce consumption by around 40%, whilst reducing water bills.
The first mature range of these technologies for the property sector are nano-coatings for self- cleaning / easy- cleaning, UV protection, insulation, corrosion resistance, and waterproofing. Some of these coatings include Tio2, (titanium dioxide) to make surfaces not only self-cleaning but also de-polluting, i.e. able to remove air pollutants within close proximity to the treated buildings. Insulation coatings will have a massive role to play in property energy conservation once architects begin to comprehend the massive benefits that many businesses in industrial application have experienced.
The second area of application, perhaps a decade away, will be advancement in solar energy, lighting, water and air filters, helping to make buildings safer for their inhabitants and more enjoyable places to work and live. Again nano-air filters are on the market today that promise the removal of toxins from air.
Companies should also look at their supply chains more to understand where and how their supplies are adopting greener and more sustainable practices. Retailers perhaps could deploy more bio-degradable cardboard, rather than plastic in packaging. Nano coatings enable surfaces to mimic different materials. For example plastic punnets are deployed in mushroom packaging because cardboard extracts moisture from the mushroom (turning it black).
However a simply cardboard box coated with nano-glass does the same job as plastic in specific functions much better and cheaper. We could have much more cardboard in our food supply chains using recycling bio-friendly materials.
How can your office go more environmental? Can paper be recycled better to generate energy? Could surfaces be made anti-microbial to enhance processes? What about textiles? A whole galaxy of opportunity surrounds industrial fabrics for property enhancement.
Eco-Friendly Nano Digesters
Every bio-degradable material, from animal-human waste to coffee residue, food to farm fodder can be turned into heating pellets for energy creation or excellent quality fertilizer. What is compelling here is that these new nano-driven machines are remarkably small.
So small in fact , they can fit into transport containers, removing the need for ugly recycling plants blighting our landscape. Hence any company with a bio-degradable waste product can now turn that waste into real profit and turn a problem or cost process into an asset without expensive investment in plant or logistics.
We are here to help you benefit from these new and amazing technologies. Simply tell us what you need to achieve. We have numerous solutions to help make 2012 better for your bottom line.
Just write to .
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NanoLandGlobal www.nanolandglobal.com , a London based company, created to introduce the benefits of nanotechnology and nanoscience, have Country Partners in many countries, working with global brand and corporate entities.
We endeavour to fast-track nanotechnology products, to incorporate their futuristic applications for the benefit of industry and society.
We work with over 100 nano specialists and labs, mostly from Germany.
Each of these nano specialists have something to offer and collectively NLG are able to dovetail perfect coatings for unique applications. Generally, these surface coatings simply redefine the functionality of the surface, by adding a new protective stable and robust thin film coating atop an existing surface. However, nanotechnology is multidisciplinary and impacts every business sector and organization.
We welcome your collaboration in the NanoLandGlobal Community.
Bookmark:
 |
||
 |
||
| The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
 |
||
|
|
||
| Premium Products | ||
 |
||
|
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
 |
||
|
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||
|
|
||