Recent Trends and Advancement in Nanotechnology for Water and Wastewater Treatment

Fast growing demand of fresh water due to increasing population and industrialization dictated research interests towards development of techniques that offers highly efficient and affordable methods of wastewater treatment. In recent decades water treatment using nano-technological based expertise have gained significant attention. Varieties of nanoparticles were synthesized and proficiently used in treatment of wide range of organic and inorganic contaminants from waste streams. This chapter encompasses recent development in nano-technological approach towards water and wastewater treatment. The authors tried to compile up to-date development, properties, application, and mechanisms of the nanoparticles used for decontamination purpose. This piece of work offer a well organized comprehensive assessment of the technology that delineates opportunities as well as its limitation in water management practices moreover few recommendations for future research are also proposed.

Nanotechnology Applications in the Construction Industry

Nanotechnology refers to the understanding and manipulation of materials on the nanoscale (<100 nm). This can lead to marked changes in material properties and can result in improved performance and new functionality. Nanomaterials with properties such as corrosion resistance, and strength and durability are of particular interests to construction professionals, because, these properties directly affect the selection of construction materials, erection methods, and on-site handling techniques. Applying nanotechnology to construction, in some cases, may result in visionary and paradigm-breaking advances. The incorporation of nanomaterials can improve structural efficiency, durability and strength of cementitious materials and can thereby assist in improving the quality and longevity of structures. This chapter tries to analyze nanotechnology in the context of construction and explores the current scenario of nanotechnology in the construction industry. In order to identify the potential benefits and existing barriers, an extensive literature review is conducted.

Risks and Preventive Measures of Nanotechnology

Application of Nanotechnology in Civil Engineering is a rapidly growing field. It has brought improvements in construction materials as well as practices. Moreover, further developments are foreseeable in this field based on the positive outcomes of the current research works. Utilization of nanoparticles in Civil Engineering has been proved advantageous from several aspects of strength, durability and sustainability. Unfortunately, there are not only benefits associated with the application of nanotechnology. According to various studies, nanoparticles are supposed to damage human organs through physical contact and inhalation. Considering the environmental impacts, atmospheric transport, as well as transport in saturated and unsaturated regions in the subsurface are possible. Nowadays, nanoparticles are progressively produced and they could easily be released in air, water, and eventually contaminate the soil which is harmful for the environment and its habitats. The following chapter would address these issues as well as preventive measures in order to improve benefit-risk ratio.

Nanotechnology Future and Present in Construction Industry

After the introduction of nanotechnology, it has been widely researched in geotechnical engineering field. This chapter aims to study these advancements with specific focus on geotechnical applications. In-situ probing of soil and rock masses through nanomaterials may help in providing better safeguards against natural hazards. The molecular dynamics and finite element methods may also be used for the modelling of the nanostructures to better understand the material behavior, causing a bottom-up approach from nano to macroscopic simulations. Nanoclays, nano-metallic oxides and fibers (carbon nanotubes) can enhance the mechanical characteristics of weak, reactive and soft soils. Nanomaterials may also be used for improving the performance of reinforced concrete pavements by enhancing the thermal, mechanical and electrical characteristics of the concrete mixes. The chapter presents a review of the current researches and practices in the nano-probing, nanoscale modelling and application of nanomaterials for soil, pavement concrete mortar and subgrade stabilization.

Classical Building Materials

Classical building materials are widely used in Civil Engineering projects. Many ancient generations used fire clay and stone as building blocks. The most common building materials today include stones, concrete, plastics, bitumen, glass, wood, metals, bricks, polymers, tiles and heat resisting materials. Current research work has come up with the considerable improvement in the natural characteristics of these materials. Glasses are available in more variety as they were 50 years ago. Similarly, concrete is now available in ultra-high strengths and even blast resistant form. Recently, use of nano-technology has emerged as a rapidly growing field; success of which is also highly dependent on the basic understanding of classical building materials. Advance research work including implementation of nanotechnology may come up with further improvements in the physical and chemical properties of these materials. This chapter would focus on classical materials in detail covering their physical and chemical characteristics, usages as well as economical suitability.

Applications of Nanotechnology in Transportation Engineering

Nanotechnology is the latest development in science, where design, construction and applications of various particles involve at least one dimension in nanometers. The nanotechnology has been utilized in many of the scientific and societal disciplines including electronics, medicine, materials science and many more. It has also influenced the broader fields like civil engineering as well as the sub-disciplines including transportation, structural, geotechnical, water resources and environmental engineering. The current focus of the researchers in transportation field is to develop the materials for sustainable transportation facilities, by using the concepts of nanotechnology. The chapter is concerned with the literature review of potential applications of the nanotechnology in transportation engineering including safety, durability, sustainability and economy. The practical applications of the nanotechnology and nanomaterials shall prove to be an asset in transportation engineering.

Trends in Nanoscopy in Materials Research

Nanotechnology has become one of the most emerging research areas to the researchers of the present world due to the wide application of nanomaterials including structures and buildings. With the rapid advancement of nanotechnology, manipulation and characterization of materials in nano scale have become an obvious part of construction related technology. This chapter will focus on some of the nano characterization techniques that are most frequently used in current research of nano materials. In particular scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, scanning tunneling microscopy, tomography, scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and laser scanning confocal microscopy are addressed. The basic principle of these characterization techniques and their limitations were briefly discussed in this chapter. In addition, a number of case studies related to microscopic characterization of nano materials utilizing the aforementioned techniques from the published literature were discussed.

Nano-Scale Behavior and Nano-Modification of Cement and Concrete Materials

Cement and concrete materials are widely used, but the development of them comes cross many problems and challenges, such as high energy consumption, high pollution, poor safety and durability, low smart. Nanotechnology is beneficial to understand the behavior of cement and concrete materials at nano-scale. In addition, nanomaterials have remarkable specific properties and functions which can endow cement and concrete materials high mechanical property and durability and multifunctionality. Therefore, applications and advances of nanotechnology and nanomaterials have injected new vitality into cement and concrete materials. This chapter will give a review about nano-scale behavior of cement and concrete materials, the nano modification methods to cement and concrete materials by using nano-binders and adding nano materials with attention to workability, hydration, mechanical property, durability and other properties of the cement and concrete materials, and the nano modification mechanisms to the cement and concrete materials. Finally, future development and challenge of nano-modificated cement and concrete materials are also discussed.