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The Art of Nanotechnology
Dr.S.Haripriya*
*Assistant Professor (Horticulture), ICAR-Krishi Vigyan Kendra,
Tamil Nad
Agricultural University, Vriddhachalam.
Damascus bladesused in the famousSword of Tipu
Sultanhave found existenceof carbon nano particles.The Damascus
steel or Wootz steel is actuallyIndian steel. It is known isformed
by adding largequantities of carbon which
was introduced byincorporating wood and
other organic matter during fabrication to iron and thissteel
industry was based in the southern peninsula. ThenameWootz is the
westernized versionUkku (Kannada)and Ekku (Tamil), meaning crucible
steel.Indian craftsmenused unique smelting techniques to
manufacture theDamascus blades which led to nanotisation giving
them aunique long-lasting edge. They had the technology tomake
Wootz steel, a 'high-grade' steel that was highlyprized and much
sought after across several regions of the world over nearly two
millennia. India, for ages, was aleading exporter of this steel
which was used to makePersian daggers which were quite popular in
Europecenturies ago. The technique to manufacture Wootz
declined steadily and has
not been in use since the17th century.
The Lycurgus Cupof
fourth century is one of
a class of Roman vessels
known as cage cups.
The glass of the cup is
dichroic; in direct light it
resembles jade with an
opaque greenish-yellow
tone, but when light
shines through the glass
it turns to a translucent
ruby colour. The
presence of colloidal
metals of gold-silver
gives the glass at least
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some of its unusual optical properties. To a
conventionally composed Roman glass flux 330 parts per
million of silver and 40 of gold were added. These
particles were precipitated as colloids and form a silver-
gold alloy. The particles are only about 70nanometers
across, and embedded in the glass.
In the 10th -11th centuries,Canterburry Cathedral Window was
created with the stained glass usually coloured by adding
nanoparticles of metallic oxides and metals to the glass while
in
a molten state.Copper oxides wereadded to produce
green, cobalt for blue,silver for yellow, and gold for red
glass.After coloring, 'small
pieces of glass are arranged to form pictures, held together
bystrips of lead and supported by a rigid frame.
During 15th -16th centuries, Deruta (Umbria, Italy) ceramists
using nanoparticles of Copper and Silver metal between 5nm and100
nm used to producemetallic and iridescent glazes on ceramic
wallplates.
Luster decorations in glazes of historicalpottery consist of
copper and silver nanoparticles dispersedin a glassy medium.
Thecolour is determinedmainly by metalnanoparticles. Silver
nanoparticles determinethe gold colour, while thered colour is
determinedby nanoparticles of copper.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanometerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanometer
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2000 years ago in the Ajanta paintings ,nanotechnology was used
in
colour pigments for durability.Its also said thatfamousDelhi
Iron pillaralsoemployed carbon nano tubetechnology 3000 years
ago.This pillar contains morethan 98% of pure iron, even
after 1600 years has notcaught rust and is 100% corrosion
resistant.
