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3 Protection
3.1 Introduction - Nanoscience opportunities for protection
The physical protection of critical infrastructures, rapid response and rescue teams, and
civilians against various forms of terrorism and organized crime is one of the most
important tasks for future civil security in Europe. The main research and application
topics for improved protection solutions are developing in relation to risks from the
proliferation of chemical and biological warfare agents or dangerous goods and from the
need for better protective systems against explosives, projectiles, and fire, especially in
personal equipment for rescue forces. In addition to such intentional dangers, the
growing potential risk of natural and man-made disasters or industrial accidents in an
ever-increasing interconnected world, also requires new and robust protection solutions
to minimize the raised vulnerability of vital infrastructures and supply chains on a local
and transnational level.
Against this background and the specific security demands, the interdisciplinary field of
nanotechnology plays an important role for the development of new passive and active
protective applications. Nanotechnology offers novel materials with enhanced or new
physical properties and functionalities including higher strength, durability, embedded
sensory capabilities and active materials. In terms of protection, civil security
applications will mainly benefit from the following material functionalities:
lightweight: high strength nanocomposites are expected to replace metal or
other hard materials, and thus reduce weight and enable improved construction
designs in buildings, garments, bridges, and other protective applications;
smart components: components with integrated sensory and reactive elements,
smart materials for diffusion control and active mass transport, smart
nanoparticles that recognize and sequester, incorporate or destroy specific toxins.
In the long term- self-repairing or self-healing materials;
adaptive structures: active structures that adapt to changing conditions such as
adaptive suspension, flexible/rigid, etc.,
Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) shielding: electromagnetic radiation
absorption coatings or materials (Electromagnetic Pulses (EMP), microwave,
gamma-ray, UV);
mechanical strength and robustness: nanoparticle and nanofibre reinforced
antiballistic structures; flexible antiballistic textiles; reactive nanoparticle armour;
shock absorbing nanotubes; nanofibres, garments and nanocoatings for biological
or chemical decontamination; switchable fabrics or materials for improved thermal
control and fire protection.
Similar to other nanoscience application fields, the key indicators for the commercial
realisation and integration of nanostructured protective materials in future smart and
resistant security systems are considered to be manufacturing issues and approaches in
directed self-assembly in multiple dimensions. Due to its position as a possible entry door
market for nanomaterials, the development of improved protective components for civil
security applications is on the one hand accelerated by the provision of a wide range of
new material properties through nanoscale engineering, and on the other benefiting from
basic defence research and technologies developed for protecting military personnel,
especially in the USA.
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