With capacity scale-ups driving prices down, the pace has picked up for commerical applications that boost electrical and thermal conductivity, structural strength, and thermal stability.

For skeptics who may doubt that nanocomposites have yet proven themselves commercially viable materials, last year’s Nanocomposites 2005 Conference in San Francisco presented plenty of evidence that “nanos” are beginning to live up to their promise.

Nano-sized particles have mega-potential in plastics because just a pinch does so much more than heavy loadings of other additives. Three recent conferences presented almost 200 papers on the feverish pace of ‘nano’ R&D on boosting plastics’ mechanical and barrier properties, flame retardancy, and electrical conductivity.