Nanotechnologies and Chemicals/Formulated Products
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Nanoscale chemicals offer unique properties and can lead to innovative ways of carrying out chemical reactions. They offer us new tools, methodologies and techniques to perform chemical synthesis, analysis and biochemical diagnostics.
Some examples of chemical innovations resulting from nanotechnologies include:
• making nanoscale building blocks of desired shape, size, composition and surface structure
• producing very small semi-conductors electronics circuits that only conduct electricity in specific conditions
Applications
New properties resulting from multi-phase chemical-based products are enabling techniques and capability, which can be exploited across many global market sectors, e.g. home and personal care, cosmetics, food and beverages, fuel additives, lubricants, coatings, inks, dyes and pharmaceuticals.
Market
The combined global market for formulated products exceeds £1.0 trillion per annum and is growing. Societal drivers include a growing and ageing global population requiring new products for health, hygiene and food production. Globalisation is opening up new market opportunities and generating a demand for products of novel, diverse function and performance.
Benefits
The application of nanotechnologies to produce novel high value formulated products could lead to significant benefits across several sectors including;
• Agrichemicals – reducing use of potentially harmful materials.
• Long-life and multifunctional coatings for the modern built environment
• Novel pharmaceutical and healthcare products (e.g. slow-release, targeted delivery)
• Home and personal care branded products tailored to meet the needs of regional consumers (e.g. washing detergents for low temperature use)
• New catalyst preparations – e.g. for fuel cell applications and water remediation.
Managing risks and uncertainties
Current regulations relating to the manufacture, handling and use of bulk chemicals and materials (e.g. LD50, REACH etc. requirements) are considered sufficient to cover nano-chemicals. However, the uncertainty surrounding the environment, health and safety (EH&S) aspects of nano-chemicals has led to calls for new, more specific regulations and standards.
Conclusions
Nanotechnologies are expected have a significant impact on the chemical sector – but the key to wider application will be balancing the added functionalities against cost-benefit and an understanding of any EH&S impacts.
Below is a SWOT analysis summarising Government understanding, from discussion with stakeholders, of the major strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the UK in this sector. Please help to steer future actions and shape the UK business environment by answering the questions on the right hand side of the page.
Strengths
The UK has a strong base for delivering novel high added value chemical and formulated products including pharmaceuticals, agrichemicals, catalysts, fuel lubricants and additives, healthcare, home and personal care and coatings. The UK hosts R&D and manufacturing centres for several leading multinationals and a significant number of SMEs. There are also well established connections with the underpinning value chain and knowledge base in the UK e.g. ingredient supply, analytical services/technologies and academic expertise/capabilities. The UK also has a strong knowledge transfer base.
Weaknesses
The UK pipeline for public R&D funding (through from Technology Readiness Level 1 to 9) is not particularly well aligned, strategically or mechanistically. There is also a major gap in funding available for development/demonstration at pilot scale. Adoption and registration of new materials in formulated products is generally limited due to the time, cost and risk involved. For nanomaterials the barriers are exemplified as there is limited availability/awareness of regulatory guidance and knowledge/tools for robust risk management. As a result, time to market is likely to be slower than other countries and the opportunity may be missed.
Opportunities
Nanotechnologies could provide UK industry with added value novel formulated products that address global challenges and in turn enable leverage of a large share of a £1,000bn global market. In turn, a greater share of the associated ingredients and enabling instrumentation/process equipment market could also be captured. Much of the relevant technology is highly transferable and exploitable across several formulating sectors. Significant value could be gained from investment in this area.
Threats
In terms of investment in nanotechnologies, USA, Japan and other European Countries are making the largest investments and provide the largest threats. However., there is also significant competition from Brazil, Russia, India and China all of whom are making major investments in chemical R&D/manufacturing. Public perception of nano is also perceived to be a critical barrier.
What’s your view? Please answer a short survey on nanotechnology in this sector using the form on the right, or leave a public comment using the form below.
Importance of furmuation for nanoparticles must not be underestimated.
Comment by Simon Lawson University of Leeds — July 17, 2009 @ 7:26 am
“furmuation” may indeed be important. But what is it?
Formulation?
If so, why is it important?
Comment by Michael Kenward — July 18, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
Formulation is the procedure and science of taking a chemical and making it deliverable and function as required. For example shampoo is a mixture that must look like shampoo, be stable on the shelf, come out of the bottle as needed, feel and smell nice. All these functions are over and above the cleaning function of the detergent molecule and must be acheived by mixing various ingredients together and, since many chemicals that act to perform these different functions compete with each other, the science is very complex. Another example would be a drug you might take for an illness. These often contain very small amounts of active ingredients so that they could not be handled by the ‘man in the street’ and so must be made into a tablet. This tablet must be ingested and the drug survive all the bodies actions to arrive at the place where it will do some good.
Nano-materials are not new. nature has been making nano-scale materials for millenium. However, man is now finding ways to make other materials and handle them to our advantage but still, they need to be made into forms that can be delivered and perform. So, as with other ingredients, the science of formulating nano-materials must be developed.
Comment by Automaxion Ltd — July 23, 2009 @ 2:07 pm
This is a nice snapshot of what I mean by formulation. Formulation clearly underpins sectors such as pharma, bio, personal care, agrochemicals, food etc.
It has long been considered an art, and as rightly pointed out by Automaxion above, that the science of formulation is a critical enabling technology for nano-materials processing that must be developed.
Comment by Simon Lawson University of Leeds — July 27, 2009 @ 9:05 am
The combined global market for formulated products exceeds £1.0 trillion per annum and is growing. Where does this figure come from? I feel that it is completely fabricated and would love to know the source.
Comment by Neil - wisp solutions — August 3, 2009 @ 11:40 am
The figure of £1.0 trillion (£1,000 billion) comes from a Royal Society of Chemistry’s report “Chemistry for Tomorrow’s World A roadmap for the chemical sciences” published in July 2009.
Comment by bisnano — August 11, 2009 @ 4:15 pm
Formulation science and technology is a vast market.
If you want to know what it covers, do a search for jobs on the new scientist website of nature with the keyword “formulation”…Recruiters and employers know what they are looking for…
Comment by Philippe Rogueda (Novartis) — August 20, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
thanks a lot
that information was a lot useful
i will surely share that info with my friends.
abhinav gupta
Comment by advance inorganics — January 22, 2010 @ 2:07 pm