| Nanotechnology is the newest craze among | | | | Nanoscience will provide better tensile strength for |
| media, academia, investors (just think of the ROI | | | | items that use carbon fiber and improve flame |
| if you hit a company that comes up wit the best | | | | resistance for plastics with "nanoclay" composites. |
| "micromachine" for God knows what) and all kinds | | | | Gas-barrier characteristics of Nanoclay in food |
| of industry. How will it affect the packaging | | | | packaging have sparked great interest. Using |
| industry? | | | | Nanoclay in packaging films, i.e. shrink-wrap helps |
| Just a little background on Nanotechnology for | | | | to create a better oxygen barrier. Nanoclay will |
| those of you who are not familiar with it, do not | | | | also be used for the tracking of products through |
| read comic books or watch the Sci-Fi channel | | | | the supply chain. |
| often. Nanoscience and Nanotechnology's primary | | | | In the next 5 years 5 million pounds of |
| push, excitement or "umph", if you will, is in the | | | | nanocomposite material will go into rigid and |
| arenas of materials science, electronics, | | | | flexible packaging. This will affect the packaging of |
| optoelectronics and biomedical. Biomedical is | | | | soft drinks, beer, meats and a vast array of |
| extremely exciting as it can be used hopefully for | | | | packaged foods and condiments. These will be the |
| repairing organs, removing disease, or even | | | | first consumable items to be packaged in |
| making organs operate more efficiently. Then this | | | | Nanotechnology Packaging. One can certainly hope |
| will move into the military arena. How? A soldier | | | | it will allow one to get that last bit of ketchup out |
| can be repaired faster if injured. Or maybe the | | | | of that little pack whilst one is sitting at the |
| soldier can run faster if Nanotechnology or | | | | ballpark!!! |
| Micromachines are being used to enhance | | | | One of the problems with Nanotechnology as with |
| reflexes. The list goes on and on; you can use | | | | any new technology is the cost. This is something |
| your imagination. | | | | new and many companies in the paper, packaging |
| So Nanotechnology is the ability to manipulate | | | | and printing industries cannot really see what |
| molecules and atoms to create structures, which | | | | Nanotechnology can do for them. Will the cost be |
| may be used in the real world. So how does this | | | | outweighed by the benefit, hopefully? |
| apply to packaging? Well the science will help | | | | If the affects of Nanotechnology and its |
| deliver materials with greater functionality or | | | | challenges are not addressed then the future of |
| durability for the increase in shelf life. Examples, | | | | compositeness amongst companies and |
| that popcorn bag that junior tries to open will not | | | | organizations will be threatened. |
| spill over your new carpet; the coke can that can | | | | The application of Nanotechnology shows a lot of |
| stand up to punctures a little better. How about | | | | promise in the world of packaging. It will vastly |
| that box in your garage that had the cement mix | | | | improve the packaging materials properties. The |
| in it, which is now soaked with water? Having to | | | | only problem is these improvements are years |
| deal with a mess like that would make anyone | | | | away. Will companies see the benefit of continued |
| mad. | | | | investment? Or will they decide not to reinvent |
| Nanotechnology will provide better fracture | | | | the wheel. Who knows? Time will tell. |
| hardness for aluminum. Note the above example. | | | | |