Nanotechnology creates energy efficient materials

According to Sinan Kandemir, pictured, a postgraduate researcher with the Department of Engineering at the University of Leicester's Department of Engineering, the research will help improve energy efficiency, minimise CO2 emissions and preserve the environment. Kandemir has used a novel processing technique, ultrasonic method, to disperse aluminium based nanoparticles homogenously through liquid. He claims that this technique promises quicker results than traditional advances in alternative fuels. "Although light materials, including aluminium and magnesium, have been proposed to replace denser materials, such as steel in the automotive industry, they exhibit low strength," he said. "Nanosized ceramic particles can be incorporated into light metals to modify the physical properties of established materials in a huge variety of automotive components. "These nanocomposite materials save weight and offer greater performance whilst contributing to the fuel efficiency and reducing green house gases released into the atmosphere."