Speakers made from carbon nanotube sheets that are a fraction of the width of a human hair can both generate sound and cancel out noise -- properties ideal for submarine sonar to probe the ocean depths and make subs invisible to enemies. That’s the topic of a report on these “nanotube speakers," which appears in ACS’ Nano Letters, a monthly journal.

Dynasil Corporation of America has announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has approved seven of its Phase-II SBIR projects for awards, ranging from $750,000 to $1,000,000 each. The awards, totaling $6.2 million, are being made to its wholly owned subsidiary, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc ("RMD"), to develop its state of the art nuclear sensors and instruments.

Nanocomp Technologies, Inc., a developer of energy saving performance materials and component products from carbon nanotubes (CNTs), today announced that it has been awarded a multi-million dollar Phase II contract by the United States Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) under the Department of Defense's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.

SouthWest NanoTechnologies, Inc. (SWeNT) the leading manufacturer of single-wall and Specialty Multi-Wall (SMW™) carbon nanotubes (CNTs) is manufacturing specialty multi-wall carbon nanotubes for NanoRidge Materials, Inc. These CNTs are being incorporated into enhanced body armour to improve protection of soldiers and law enforcement officers from small arms fire.

Inorganic chalcogenide (WS2) nanotubes have shown revolutionary chemical and physical properties that offer a broad range of applications. They are ultra-strong impact-resistant materials. This makes them excellent candidates for producing bullet proof vests, helmets, car bumpers, high strength glues and binders, and other safety equipment. The unique nanotubes are up to four to five times stronger than steel and about six times stronger than Kevlar, the nowadays most popular material used for bullet proof vests.

TAU researchers develop improved MEMS devices for sport, electronics and defence.

Tiny sensors known as accelerometers are everywhere. The near-weightless technology can measure the impact of a dangerous tackle on a football player's helmet, control the flow of highway and runway traffic, analyze a golf pro's swing, orient the next generation of smart phones, and keeping fighter jets and missiles on target.

Researchers have overcome a fundamental obstacle in using new "metamaterials" for radical advances in optical technologies, including ultra-powerful microscopes and computers and a possible invisibility cloak.

Researchers have shown that an advanced cooling technology being developed for high-power electronics in military and automotive systems is capable of handling roughly 10 times the heat generated by conventional computer chips.

Sandia National Laboratories researchers have taken the first steps toward reducing the size and enhancing the functionality of devices in the terahertz (THz) frequency spectrum.

 

A team of U.S. scientists has designed some new men's briefs that may be comfortable, durable and even stylish but, unlike most underpants, may be able to save lives.

 

Researchers at Oregon State University and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have discovered a new way to apply nanostructure coatings to make heat transfer far more efficient, with important potential applications to high tech devices as well as the conventional heating and cooling industry.

 

Wonder textiles for trauma sensing and ballistic resistance.

It is well recognized that the applications of nanotechnology are related to the intrinsic properties of nanostructures and the effects they exhibit in whichever matrix materials they are embedded. This opens up seemingly endless opportunities to engineer and fabricate materials with new and improved properties, including mechanical strength, optical response, electrical and thermal conductivity and wear resistance. This article looks at some of the ground-breaking works carried out in the lab of Nicholas Kotov at the University of Michigan, and its exploitation by Nico Technologies Inc. Some of the applications include the design and engineering of new conductive materials with biosensing capabilities using clay nanosheets and carbon nanotubes, and thermally stable fibres and fabrics with potential applications as protective and ballistic-impact resistant materials.

 

Read about the latest in nanotechnology for crime prevention, military and medical applications plus the kind of commitment and support Germany is giving its industry.

 

The military have been quicker than most to appreciate the potential of nanotechnology. More money is being spent on nanotechnology research for military applications than for any other area. The idea that nanotechnology could lead to lighter weight, smarter devices for soldiers in the field, uniforms that offer ballistic and other protection, and more deadly weaponry, has proved irresistible. This article examines some of the military problems for which nanotechnologies are offering new solutions.

In this article, Jurgen Altmann discusses the potential military applications of nanotechnlogy, and looks at the ethical concerns involved. He describes a framework for an ethical assessment, and follows this with a discussion of the current system of preventive arms control.  He asks whether nanotechnology will lead to a revolutionary change in this international system.

Imagine it’s just around sunset in a city in the Middle East. Daytime visibility has ended and a lone Soldier is just becoming aware of the uncertainties that darkness brings. Now imagine the Soldier blinks his eye, activating a special contact lens that allows him to see a crystal clear image of the surroundings behind him. A second blink and he sees what’s ahead of him, and so on.

Weapons made from depleted uranium have become a common feature of war. When they explode, nano-sized pollutants fill the air before falling to rest on land or sea where they can enter the food chain. Dr Antonietta Gatti explains why these nano-pollutants could be the cause of the unexplained, devastating symptoms experienced by many Gulf War veterans.