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Nanotechnology will change lives: Sivathanu Pillai

KOCHI: A revolution is in waiting with nanotechnology and biotechnology that will change the perspective about every molecule, said A. Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Controller of Defence Research Development Organisation and the chief executive and managing director of Brahmos Aerospace.

Speaking on the ‘multiple dimensions of chemical sciences’ at a national seminar on ‘current advances in chemical science’ organised by the Department of Chemistry, Sacred Heart College, he said that applications of nanotechnology would soon become evident in medicine, electronics, energy production and material and particle science. “The defence applications are quite many,” he said.

The strength of a nanotube is a couple of thousand times more than diamond, which is the hardest substance. Nanotechnology application in tapping solar energy will make solar energy systems efficient from about 15 to 50 per cent, he said.

Giving a visual presentation of the missile programme of the country, Dr. Pillai said that Brahmos Aerospace was working on hypersonic reusable missile project in Thiruvananthapuram, which is expected to be ready in five years. The Brahmos cruise missile at Mach 2.8 is the fastest in the world, faster than Tomahawk that has speed of Mach 0.8.

He traced the history of rocket science saying that Tipu Sultan had first used the principle of rocket technology in his war against the British. He went on to explain the development of the technology in modern India, including the specialty of Agni, Prithvi, Nag missiles.

All these visible changes in technology had been possible because of the advances made in chemical sciences, he said.

Milk production, thermal energy, textiles and many more industries are a result of the advances.

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