Pretoria – The world class Department of Science and Technology (DST)-Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Nanomaterials Industrial Development Facility has officially opened in Pretoria.
Science and Technology Minister Naledi Pandor launched the facility at the CSIR on Thursday.
The facility will help the plastics and cosmetics industries to develop new nanotechnologies and processes. Nanomaterials are chemical substances or materials that are manufactured and used at a very small scale (down to 10 000 times smaller than the diameter of a human hair). Nanomaterials are developed to exhibit novel characteristics -- such as increased strength, chemical reactivity or conductivity -- compared to the same material without nanoscale features.
Hundreds of products containing nanomaterials, such as batteries, coatings and anti-bacterial clothing, are already in use.
The facility is part of one of the five programmes funded by DST through the CSIR, as part of the Industrial Innovation Partnership Fund (IIPF), which seeks to support industry competitiveness.
Minister Pandor said the facility provides the capabilities for the industrial-scale production of nano-structured materials.
“It provides a unique technology and product development capability for South Africa, with respect to nanostructures.
“All the facilities supported under the Industry Innovation Programme, including the Nano-materials Industrial Development Facility, have the potential to play a role in the development of high technology small, medium and micro enterprises,” she said.
One of the industries set to benefit from the research advances and introduction of an industry-scale testing facility is the plastics industry.
The addition of nanomaterials in the manufacturing of plastics can significantly enhance the mechanical properties of plastics. Plastics can, for example, be made stronger, lighter and more fire and ultraviolet resistant.
Addressing the technological development of the plastics industry will enable the industry to keep up with international trends, both in the level of advanced materials used, and in the machines and processes used to produce plastic components and systems.
CSIR Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sibusiso Sibisi, said the CSIR performs research to stimulate and improve the country’s competitiveness and contribute to the economy.
“We need to think differently. We need to explore new ways and mechanisms to enter … activities such as the beneficiation of our natural resources to create jobs, manufacture high-end components and export them,” Dr Sibisi said.
The facility houses infrastructure for scale-up, processing and testing. It will also play a crucial role in developing skills and transferring technologies to industry.
Significant progress towards industry’s development goals has been achieved in the first 18 months of the programme, including the development of four new products and technologies, which are currently being evaluated by companies.
The four products include two cosmetic products, organically modified South African nanoclay minerals and polypropylene-based nanocomposites.
According to the CSIR, the international market in nanostructured materials and nanocomposites is growing rapidly.
Nanoclay composites, for instance, are expected to increase from a 2011 volume of 24 million to 74 million metric tonnes and a global value of $3 billion by 2016.
In South Africa, the total plastic consumption is in the order of 1.3 million metric tonnes or R35 billion per annum, and accounts for an estimated 3.2% of the manufacturing sector. – SAnews.gov.za
