The National Centre for Nanostructured Materials in Pretoria, South Africa, has developed a paint that is fire resistant, has ultraviolet protection, and is scratch proof. Suprakas Sinha Ray, head of the Centre, said, “Nanotechnology will change everything in the next 10-15 years \u2014 electronics, medical technology, everyday life….Everything’s becoming smaller and very efficient. If you manipulate (substances) on a very small scale, the materials get new properties (and this makes) industry more competitive.” The new paint has clay particles, as well as bamboo flour and wood particles. The nano-clay particles improve the mechanical and material properties of the paint, and can act as flame-retardant fillers. Professor Sinha Ray says the paint could be used in low-cost housing developments to help reduce the prevalence of paraffin fires. Wood nanoparticles and bamboo clay can be introduced to the paint to reduce the cost of building materials and even reduce the product’s carbon footprint, says Sinha Ray. The composite material paint will also be affordable. “This is the beauty of this technology,” says Sinha Ray. “Nanomaterials are still a bit expensive compared to other paints” but only a small quantity of the nanoparticles are incorporated into the paint. “Therefore, at the end of the day, the final cost will be almost the (same) as normal paints, but \u2026 will last longer with other value- added features. (It’s a) huge gain for consumers.” The article can be viewed online at the link below.<\/p>\n
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