Researchers investigate future uses for nanotech polymers

The Cidetec Technological Centre is developing the technology through its participation in the European NAPA (Emerging Nanopatterning Methods) project. The main objective of this is to provide low-cost processes and tools that meet the needs of nanoprinting processes and required for the development of devices to be employed in various applications such as nanobiotechnology.

The Cidetec Technological Centre is developing the technology through its participation in the European NAPA (Emerging Nanopatterning Methods) project. The main objective of this is to provide low-cost processes and tools that meet the needs of nanoprinting processes and required for the development of devices to be employed in various applications such as nanobiotechnology. Nanotechnology is attractive to global food production and packaging because it promises the possibility of new answers to key challenges.

The industry is under a great deal of pressure, with transport and raw material costs at a record high. In addition, the threat of bioterrorism has made food safety along the supply chain a government as well as an industry priority, and new forms of packaging are continually being investigated. For example, nanoscale monitors could be linked to recording and tracking devices to monitor temperature changes, while other devices could be used to detect for pesticides and genetically modified crops (GMOs) within foodstuffs. Alternatively, The Foundation for Scientific and Industrial Research at the Norwegian Institute of Technology (SINTEF) is using nanotechnology to create small particles in the film and improve the transportation of some gases through the plastic film to pump out dirty air such as carbon dioxide.