Nanotechnology in Packaging

Nanotechnology is generating plenty of buzz among the media, academia, the investment community, and many sectors of industry. But what impact will nanotechnology have on packaging?This editor looked for answers in the softbound book Nanotechnology in Packaging, by Dr. Graham Moore, head of strategic consultancy with Pira Intl. Ltd., the book’s Surrey, England-based publisher.After an executive summary that briefly discusses packaging, the book follows a logical five-chapter approach that steers readers through the evolution of nanotechnology, commercial applications, “pathways to realization,” commercial ventures, and future developments. While the applications section explores ways to use nanotechnology, the commercial ventures part profiles companies that operate in the nanotechnology sector.As the book explains, the primary thrust of nanoscience and nanotechnology is in the areas of materials science, electronics and optoelectronics, and biomedical science. Although it may be helpful to learn about “nano”-development in these different industries, too much of the book focuses on applications outside packaging, making its title a bit misleading.That said, the book is good at providing a base of knowledge, beginning with the first sentence of the executive summary: “Nanotechnology has been used freely in the context of describing the manipulation of atoms and molecules to create structures that have applications in the real world.”When it comes to packaging applications, the second chapter, commercial applications, explains that the application of nanoscience and technology is helping to deliver materials with greater functionality and more durability to increase shelf life.