Nanotechnology – Automobile
Overview
Nanotechnology is contributing to developments and the production of innovation materials and processes in the automotive sector. Materials with nanoparticles or layers at the Nano scale have beneficial effects on inner and outer surfaces, on the body or on the engine and drive. Nanotechnolgy is defined in Wikpedia as "the manipulation of matter on an atomic and molecular scale" .
Nanotechnology is becoming increasingly economically important worldwide. Examples of nanotechnology already in automobiles:
- Optical layers for reflection reduction on dashboards
- Hydrophobic and dirt repellent “easy to clean” mirrors
- Modern tyres, for instance, achieve their high mileage, durability and road grip through Nano scaled soot particles and silica
- The latest developments make it possible to replace car windows with plastics coated on the nanometre scale and so the focus is placed on the development of transparent, light, scratch resistant and at the same time stiff materials
- To reduce fuel consumption, emissions and to increase energy efficiency by coating cylinder tracks Nano technologically
Nanotechnology Solutions
Paints
Car manufacturers are increasingly using nanoparticles to make scratch-resistant paints. This enables them to guarantee an unblemished car body throughout the car’s lifetime. This is possible because the nano-varnishes allow for higher scratch resistance and paint brilliance compared to conventional paints. To achieve this effect, ceramic particles are embedded in the final varnish at the nanometre range.Technology Issues
Regulatory
The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996 (HSNO) adopts a precautionary approach which emphasises the need for caution in managing adverse effects where there is scientific and technical uncertainty about those effects. Different options can be found on the definition of caution.Environmental Risk Management Authority’s (ERMA) view is“that while the HSNO Act provides for decisions to be precautionary where there is scientific or technical uncertainty … it does not empower ERMA to act when there are suspicions but little or no evidence".Great debate can be had about the new nanotechnology materials and there are no set levels of proof required to trigger regulatory action. Other Acts such as the Waste Minimisation Act don’t apply because there are no documented cases of adverse environmental effects.
Dr Simon Brown, associate professor in physics at Canterbury University, says"
“The default position has been to do nothing. There’s a very significant number of products in shops and current regulations don’t police them,” he says. “There’s no shortage of areas of concern about nanomaterial’s. We simply don’t know enough about the risks they pose and there’s a strong argument for sensible precautions to be put in place."
Ethical
Nanotechnology ethical issues surrounding the automotive industry are minimal, as nanotechnology is currently limited to automotive materials. Nanotechnology ethical issues may arise if automotive technology and human integration is considered.“With such awesome potential dangers inherent in nanotechnology, we must seriously examine its potential consequences. Granted, nanotechnology may never become as powerful and prolific as envisioned by its evangelists, but as with any potential, near-horizon technology, we should go through the exercise of formulating solutions to potential ethical issues before the technology is irreversibly adopted by society. We must examine the ethics of developing nanotechnology and create policies that will aid in its development so as to eliminate or at least minimize its damaging effects on society” (Santa Clara University, n.d.).Ethics surrounding the automotive industry are currently a non-issue.
Social
Like the ethical issues of nanotechnology, the social issues are very minimal if there are any at all. It seems there are more good things to be said about the use of using nanotechnology in car manufacturing. However there is need to look at social issues like:- Privacy - Ambient technologies in cars, which would be used to monitor things like pollution levels and traffic conditions, could also be used to transmit information about the driver’s activities. With this potential for abuse of privacy, there is a need for legislation laying out what information can be collected.
- Risk - There is very little information on the effects nanomaterials, what is known is Nanostructures can enter the body via lungs, mouth and skin absorption, but not enough is known about related health consequences to draw clear conclusions. The effects on the environment are not yet known, it is unclear if any nanostructures will constitute a new class of non-biodegradable pollutant. More studies need to be carried out in these areas.
- Social Divide - There is a danger of the gap between the wealthy and developing nations widening especially in healthcare, energy and transport. There is also the danger of developing nations losing out on revenue as most of the materials currently used in the car industry come from these countries and as nano technology replaces these materials there will be a negative effect on the economy and development.
- Communication - There is a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding of the risks and benefits of nanotechnology. There is therefore a need for more communication regarding the implications and benefits of nanotechnology. Opinions, concerns and opinions of interested parties also need to be taken into consideration when making any planning or legislation regarding nanotechnology.
Contribution towards business strategies.
Business strategies often include reducing harmful effects on the environment and to improve Health and Safety at work. Companies with fleets of petrol and diesel vehicles are finding that Nanotechnology can help make real progress with these strategies. Nanotechnology enables the business to improve its energy efficiency by improving fuel consumption while reducing emissions, this also reduces operational transport costs while reducing impact on the environment.
From a Health and Safety viewpoint use of Nanotechnology in tyres improve grip on the road. Better grip should reduce the number of accidents while improving speed. Other benefits include higher mileage from the tyres. This in turn leads to fewer tyre changes so vehicles will be off the road less frequently, these benefits all translate into better vehicle use while reducing operating costs.
New paints mean that vehicles will not need repainting or touching up as much, this will result in more operation cost saving.
Strengths in using Nanotechnology
Car manufacturer’s biggest strength is that they already know about and are already using nanotechnology in their automobiles. They are already using it for things like optical layers for reflection reduction on dashboards and hydrophobic and dirt repellent “easy to clean” mirrors.
Another strength is that Nanotechnology is providing what customers are seeking in a car.
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For example: Fuel efficiency cars as the cost of petrol rises, by being able to provide automobiles made with lighter but stronger materials. Reducing the environmental impact global warming and thinning ozone layers become more of a worry, by providing hydrogen and fuel cell-powered cars.
"Competences in nanotechnology are among the core competences in future automobile construction, and they are vital for maintaining competitiveness. The lead innovation NanoMobil is to make nanotechnological effects available for better environmental compatibility, safety and economic efficiency in the automobile area” FMER, 2004).As the first few words on a Nanowerk webpage, on Nanotechnology in automobiles, says “Nanotechnologies will play a major role in the car industry”. This says a lot where using nanotechnology in automobiles is concerned.
Support for introduction to Nanotechnology
The automotive sector is a major consumer of material technologies – and nanotechnologies promise to improve the performance of current technologies significantly. Applications range from already existing – paint quality, fuel cells, batteries, wear resistant tyres, lighter but stronger materials, ultra-thin anti-glare layers for windows and mirrors – to the futuristic – energy harvesting bodywork, fully self-repairing paint, switchable colours, shape-shifting skins. (Berger, 2010)
The industry’s overarching development goals are to improve fuel consumption, environmental impact, safety, and comfort, as continually growing car use conflicts with environmental pressures and infrastructure limits. Nanotechnology will undoubtedly play a huge role in the way automotive manufacturers deal with these changes. (Soutter, 2012)
The automotive sector is always looking for ways to improve their products using lighter, stronger materials, more efficient engine performance and fuel consumption etc. and their technology base which evolves all the time in order to remain competitive should be able to support the introduction of nanotechnologies to a very high degree. Nanotechnology is a technology driver for the industry, as it will influence every aspect of vehicle manufacture.
Nanotechnology materials can be used to make lighter, stronger and more fuel-efficient vehicles. Already vehicle manufacturers are working with universities and suppliers to meet this need. It will also give companies that adopt the technology early additional competitive advantage over their rivals. According to Berger (2010), in 2004, Germany through its Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), established a specific nanotechnology-funding program – NanoMobil – in connection with automotive technologies and in order to keep the German car industry and its suppliers competitive. Major German automotive companies like Opel, BMW Corporation and Daimler-Mercedes are major participant in this program.
Companies in the tyre, ceramics, paint industries etc. are also taking part in this program. This creates the need for their competitors to adopt the new technology or lose out in the highly competitive automobile industry. Car manufacturers have a history of retooling their factories if the need comes up and they are doing the same for nanotechnology which will impact every aspect of the industry from catalytic convertors, belts, body frames and even the fuel efficiency of the vehicle.
The US Government has a program named ‘Advanced’ technology vehicles manufacturing incentive administered by the Department of Energy, which gives loans of up to 30% to automobile manufacturers, ultra efficient vehicle manufacturers, and component suppliers for advanced technology vehicles which need to be ultra-efficient and light. Legislation against pollution will also help in the introduction of new nanotechnologies as vehicle manufacturers strive to produce more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.
Risks in Nanotechnology
Health risks
Nanostructures can enter the body via lungs, mouth and skin absorption, yet the degree to which individual nanostructures expose the human body to adverse health risks is not fully understood. Some nanoparticles (like copolymer particles, cerium oxide particles, quantum dots, and carbon nanotubes) have been found to induce various stress reactions in animal cells. We do not yet know enough about related health consequences to draw clear conclusions. As with any developing body of research, published studies are often followed by contrary results, opinions, even new directions for enquiry. Toxicity research is not merely a brake on commercial use; in fact, it can stimulate it. (Nanotechnology CRO briefing, 2010)Environmental risks
Free-form nanostructures can be released into the air or water during production or as waste byproducts, ultimately accumulating in soil, water or vegetation. It is not yet known if any nanostructures will constitute a new class of non-biodegradable pollutant, but if so, such pollutants could be extremely difficult to remove from air or water, in particular if they are free and not aggregated or agglomerated among themselves (Nanotechnology CRO briefing, 2010).Financial
The expansion of nanotechnology development and investment is creating an environment that risks securities claims and claims for financial losses, including those that could result from a collapse of stock prices. False and misleading statements about the promises of nanotechnology prompted three securities class action suits against a company that uses nano crystalline materials in a variety of products, including flooring and sunscreens. A subsequent settlement was reported to have been covered by professional liability policies. (Nanotechnology CRO briefing, 2010)
Fear of disease
At least three U.S. courts have addressed the issue of whether cell damage, without any associated symptoms or disability, is covered as “bodily injury” under standard liability policies. In the early stages of nanotechnology development, the lack of definitive scientific knowledge may increase the potential for claims alleging a, "fear of future disease.” Although decisions to date have been mixed, a significant number of U.S. courts may someday rule that such claims are both legally viable and covered by some policies. (Nanotechnology CRO briefing, 2010) Some engineered nanoparticles, including carbon nanotubes, although offering tremendous opportunities also may pose risks which have to be addressed sensibly in order that the full benefits can be realized. We have all learned how to handle electricity, gas, steam and even cars, aeroplanes and mobile phones in a safe manner because we need their benefits. The same goes for engineered nanoparticles. Mostly they will be perfectly safe, embedded within other materials, such as polymers. There is some possibility that free nanoparticles of a specific length scales may pose health threats if inhaled, particularly at the manufacturing stage. Industry and government are very conscious of this, are funding research into identifying particles that may pose a hazard to health or the environment, and how these risks may be quantified, and minimised over the whole lifecycle of a given nanoparticle. There is no doubt that nanotechnology has great potential to bring benefits to society over a wide range of applications, but it is recognised that care has to be taken to ensure these advances come about in as safe a manner as possible. (Institute of Nanotechnology, 2012)
Management of Risks
Hazard recommendations:
- Testing strategies and metrics for assessing (eco-) toxicity
- Nomenclature which includes novel attributes, such as surface area
- Pre-market testing and full life cycle assessment (incl. secondary risks)
- Disposal and dispersion methods for nano-engineered materials
- Identifying hazards using scenarios
- Matrix for assessing the identified hazardsExposure recommendations:
Exposure monitoring methodologies
- Methods for reducing exposure and protective equipment
- Estimation of exposure for events with great uncertainties
Risk recommendations:
- Risk assessment methodologies
- International guidelines and best practices
- Evaluation of probability and severity of risks, including loss of benefits
- Balanced knowledge-based communication of EHS methods
- Developing capacity to address uncertain/unknown and ambiguous developments at national and global levels
- Identifying and analysing controversial developments
Conclusion
The automotive industry is being influenced by the development and implementation of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is being used for paint quality, fuel cells, batteries, wear resistant tyres, lighter but stronger materials, ultra-thin anti-glare layers for windows and mirrors. Plans exist to use nanotechnology to replace car windows with plastics coated on the nanometre scale and so the focus is placed on the development of transparent, light, scratch resistant and at the same time stiff materials and also to reduce fuel consumption, emissions and to increase energy efficiency by coating cylinder tracks nanotechnologically.
Below is a diagram to show is already being done and what could be done in the future:
There are risks and issues when adopting nanotechnology as the implementation of nanotechnology solutions and products are still mostly in the research and development stage. For example, Are there any health risks, if so what are they, and what financial risks are there? Financially nanotechnology has high revenue potential. Some estimates predict that by 2015, across all industries of nanotechnology, to reaching revenue of $1 trillion and the automotive industry currently accounts for just over $1 billion which is approximately 5% of all revenue generated by nanotechnology across all sectors. From this, the tyre sector currently accounts for 95% of nanomaterials in the automotive industry.
“Nanotechnology is clearly in the infancy stage of its product life cycle, with positive returns on investments expected in the medium and long term. Frost & Sullivan projects nanotechnology revenues in the automotive industry to reach $6.5 billion in 2015. Upcoming applications are paints and coatings, and lightweight structures. These are expected to account for 43% and 26% of revenues in 2015, respectively.” (Frost & Sullivan, 2004)Car manufacturers in Germany are already seeing nanotechnology as a risk worth taking as a survey was done, by the German nanotechnology enterprises, on the economic potential of nanotechnologies in Germany. The survey showed that more than 75% of the companies see the potential which nanotechnologies could open up to new markets for them and more than 60% expect a decisive advantage from the use of technologies. (Werner, M., Kohly, W., & Śimić, M., 2008)
Using nanotechnology does not only have the potential to give consumers what they are wanting in the way of fuel efficiency and sustainability but it could save costs. For instance, the efficiency of a single layer of nanomaterial-based coating is comparable to that of three layers of conventional coatings. Nanomaterials are also projected to lower the quantity of highly expensive rare metals used in catalytic converters and fuel cells, yielding a saving of at least $1 billion per year by 2010. (Frost & Sullivan, 2004) For the automotive industry it would be highly recommended and feasible to adopt nanotechnology as the potential for revenue and the consumer is huge. You just have to take a look at what is already being done and what is possible to see this.
References
Berger, M. (2010). Nanotechnology in the automotive industry. Retrieved 10 September, 2012, from http://www.nanowerk.com/spotlight/spotid=18972.php
General Ministry of Education and Research (2004). NanoMobil. Retrieved September 14th, 2012 from http://www.bmbf.de/en/1846.php
Frost & Sullivan (December 2nd, 2004). Frost & Sullivan report: automotive nanotechnology applications. Retrieved September 22nd, 2012 from http://www.nanotech-now.com/news.cgi?story_id=06937
Institute of Nanotechnology (2012). Nanotechnology risks. Retrieved 12 September, 2012, from http://www.nano.org.uk/nano/what-is-nanotechnology-6
Nanotechnology CRO briefing (2010) Emerging Risks Initiative – Position Paper. Retrieved 12 September, 2012, from http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology/reports/reportpdf/report138.pdf
Netmarketshare (live data). Statistics samples 9 September 2012 from http://www.netmarketshare.com
Reil, A (n.d.). Nanotechnologies in Automobiles. Retrieved September 1st, 2012 from http://www.hessen-nanotech.de/mm/NanoAutomotive_web.pdf
Risk Management Principles (n.d.) Risk Management Principles for Nanotechnology. Retrieved 12 September, 2012, from https://www.law.upenn.edu/academics/institutes/regulation/papers/MarchantRiskManagementPrinciples.pdf
Santa Clara University. (n.d.). The Ethics of Nanotechnology. Retrieved 2nd September 2012 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/submitted/chen/nanotechnology.html
Soutter, W. (2012). Nanotechnology in the Automotive Industry. Retrieved 10 September, 2012, from http://www.azonano.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=3031
Werner, M., Kohly, W., & Śimić, M. (2008). Nanotechnologies in Automobiles – Innovation Potentials in Hesse for the Automotive Industry and its Subcontractors. Retrieved 3 September, 2012, from http://www.hessen-nanotech.de/mm/NanoAutomotive_web.pdf