6-7 September 1999

Dr T S Sudarshan

Vice-President and Technical Director

Materials Modification Inc

Fairfax, Virginia

USA

The objective of this one-and-a-half-day course was to introduce nanomaterials whose microstructural building blocks have been engineered to sub-250 nanometer or even sub-100 nanometer scale. These nanomaterials herald a new era of engineering materials - an era that focuses on adding value and implementing the knowledge of precision manufacturing to existing compositions and readily available raw materials. The re-engineering of products to near-molecular scale often offers desirable and unmatched performance that non-nanomaterial technologies do not yet offer. Topics included theory – mechanism and limitations of nanomaterials, synthesis and consolidation methods for nanomaterials and near-term applications of nanomaterials for electrodes, sensors, capacitors, thermal spray coatings, bioapplications, cosmetics, drug delivery, sputter targets, filters, cathodes, anodes, etc. Problems and hurdles together with current market for nanomaterials and producers and future challenges were also discussed.

The course attracted a total of 18 participants from various organisations and industries as summarised below: