Review of 2011 the aeroplane, it is estimated that drag can be reduced by 39%, enabling Easyjet’s overall fuel consumption to be reduced by 1–2 per cent. Also within Aerospace, the long awaited “Dreamliner” from Boeing, finally went into service in October. It is reported to use ca. 20% less fuel as a result of significant effort put into reducing the overall weight of the aeroplane. A major part of the means by which this has been achieved has been via the use of substantial quantities of nano composites. In the Construction sector, ItN Nanovation completed a major project in Saudi Arabia in March installing its CFM Systems® nanoceramic-based filtration system for water purification. The CFM Systems® filter units are used to pre-treat water from deep wells so that it can be subsequently purified into clean drinking water using reverse osmosis. Tests have shown that pre-filtration with CFM Systems® provides significant advantages over conventional polymer-based hollow fibre membranes and sandbased filtration, even at high temperatures and high iron and manganese concentrations. The CFM Systems® filter units also last considerably longer than conventional polymer membranes for pre-filtration. In addition, their use extends the operating life of the downstream reverse osmosis membranes. It is claimed that drinking water throughput is increased by some 20 percent using CFM Systems® filter units which is of great importance given the relatively high cost of reverse osmosis plants for water purification. Also in Construction, Rusnano in June signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Lafarge to develop innovative and sustainable construction materials. These will include high performance mineral additives and fillers supplying energy efficiency, durability and environmental safety.
Rusnano has also been active in the Coatings sector, creating a joint venture with Alcoa in June. The joint venture will produce a broad range of products including anti-icing, nano-structured coatings for ground cables, wires and other components of power transmission lines. The project will also produce next-generation wires and cables with improved conductivity and anti-icing properties. Also in June, Frost and Sullivan awarded its New Product Innovation Award to Nanopool for its liquid glass technology. Nanopool’s application of silicon dioxide at the nanometre scale as an antimicrobial coating yields high disinfectant properties, previously achieved only by silver nanocoatings. However, while the toxicity of silver has been an area of concern, liquid glass has been subjected to several clinical tests and found to be completely biocompatible. In addition, the nanocoating product is claimed to offer other benefits: it is repellent to water and dirt, making coated surfaces easy to clean and maintain. The coating is transparent rendering it almost invisible and maintaining the aesthetic appeal of the original surface. It is also resistant to heat and cold, functioning at a wide range of temperatures (-150 to +4500C). This enables it to be used in appliances such as ovens and air conditioners. It is highly durable: the coating can protect a surface for more than ten years, thereby minimising maintenance costs. Nanopools’ liquid glass finds application in a diverse range of market sectors including agriculture, aerospace, building & construction, automotive, packaging and retail. P2i, in October, won an international award at the 2011 International Business Awards for being the ‘Most Innovative Company in Europe’. This followed the announcement in February, that it had built its first high-capacity processing machine, the Aridion™ 400, to apply invisible
NanoPerspective™ 7