Advanced manufacturing techniques and modern composite materials take advantage of nanotechnology and nanomaterials that have evolved over the past 20 years.
Nanoenabled materials are now used in applications ranging from construction coatings to medical imaging and drug delivery and in products as diverse as sunscreen, golf clubs and spacecraft. Nanomaterials present advantageous mechanical, electromagnetic and other physical or chemical properties that do not exist with the more common macro form of the material.
The potential for increased health risks to workers and the public is a concern that must be addressed as these nanoenabled materials and processes are introduced throughout industry. Approaches for safe use of nanotechnology will be discussed along with examples from industries such as aerospace and oil and gas.