Nanotechnology has potential to revolutionize maritime and naval warfare environment

Nanotechnology deals with the understanding, control and manufacture of matter in the nanoscale regime, usually between 1 nm to 100 nm, and exploiting them for a useful application. At this length scale unique properties and phenomena arise as a result of increased surface-to-volume ratio and dominance of quantum mechanical effects. Nanotechnology applications are affecting almost all aspects of human life – food, clothing, medicine, communication and so on. Some of them, like anti-bacterial textiles, self-cleaning coatings, bio-sensors etc, are available commercially.

This technology will have many potential applications in the maritime environment including materials (including energetic materials, information science, biology and multidisciplinary efforts.

It is envisioned the Navy will benefit in many applications areas that take advantage of the potentially superior properties of nanomaterials.  Innovations in nanomaterials can improve robustness of vessel equipment, delivering more fuel efficiency and bringing down operating costs. Nano-enabled marine technologies promise effectual functionality in all kinds of vessels ranging from yatchs, cruise ships, and container vessels to aircraft carriers operated by the Navy.

Desirable functionality, such as environmental sensing, self-cleaning, self-healing, enhanced electrical conductance and shape modification, is anticipated through the development of nano-materials, and, in turn, will deliver performance benefits in the commercial shipping, naval and ocean space industries.

Examples include fracture resistance in nanostructured coatings for greater lifetimes; scattering of multiple phonon frequencies providing enhanced thermal management materials and thermoelectric devices; reduced diffusion distances in electrodes and cell architectures enabling simultaneous increases in battery power and energy densities; high surface area particles for sensing and novel catalyst applications; and, enhanced electron transport in nanowire composites providing potential for controlled dielectric constants.