The number of products and equipment based on nanotechnology in Iran has increased sixfold in a nine-year period, according to the latest data released by the Nanotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology.
The headquarters monitors the nanoscale of products and issues permits, which show nano-based products and equipment have increased from the fiscal 2013-14 to 2021-22.
A total of 1,376 nanotech devices and equipment have been produced by domestic companies, the news portal of the vice presidency reported.
Statistics released by the headquarters indicate that until the end of the ninth fiscal month (Nov. 22-Dec. 21, 2022), nano products of 271 companies had public use and nano equipment manufactured by 64 firms had industrial applications.
Domestic nanotech companies exported $62 million worth of products to 48 countries in the fiscal 2021-22 (ended March 20, 2022), registering a 53% growth compared with the previous year.
However, the annual 7% share of nanotech products in total exports has not changed during this period.
Turkey and Iraq were the main export destinations for domestic nanotech products during the period, accounting for $10 million of the total revenues. Russia, India, Kazakhstan, America, England, Mongolia and Pakistan were other export destinations.
Currently, nanotechnology is being used in numerous fields and plays an important role in people’s lives, such as treatment of special diseases. Nanotechnology has helped reduce the overall cost of equipment produced for health centers while increasing their efficiency compared to other ordinary counterparts.
Catalytic Converters Help Reduce Air Pollution
A domestic knowledge-based company has produced a catalytic converter based on nanotechnology, which is considerably cheaper than its foreign counterparts.
With the beginning of the winter season and air inversion, major industrial cities face serious challenges regarding air pollution, which has a negative effect on the physical and mental health of their residents.
Inhaling polluted air, especially airborne particles, can cause cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, and cause serious disruption in medical and industrial sectors. For this reason, city managers are looking for ways to minimize the amount of air pollution in cities, the news portal of the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
Part of this serious problem can be solved with the help of emerging technologies and high-tech Iranian products. Nanotechnology boosts the efficiency of catalytic materials and improves the performance of catalytic converters.
For instance, nano-based catalytic converters expedite oxidation reduction, turn exhaust gas emissions into less toxic pollutants and curb air pollution.
Parto Farazan Avizeh Kimia Company can supply catalytic converters to domestic automobile companies at one-third of the price of its foreign counterparts.
While they are commonly used in passenger vehicles, other devices and machines that worsen air pollution such as mining equipment, buses, locomotives, motorbikes, trucks, electrical generators and even ships can also be equipped with this product.
Usually, these vehicles and machines use a catalytic converter in their exhaust, but in some cases, two catalytic converters are used to reduce a larger volume of air pollution.
In this product, all precious metals, including platinum, palladium and rhodium, are distributed in the form of nanoparticles on catalytic base surfaces that have high porosity.
Another important advantage of catalytic converters is that they can transform about 98% of harmful and toxic gases produced by vehicles and machines into less harmful and toxic gases.
Nano-Based Product Helps Spot Most Effective Antibiotic
A domestic knowledge-based company has produced a nano-based product that can be used to detect drug sensitivity. The product, based on nanotechnology, is used to identify the appropriate antibiotic for medical treatment.
Karma Azma Andish Development and Equipment Company is the manufacturer of antibiogram tablets or disks containing nanoparticles, the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology reported.
Antibiogram or drug sensitivity tests use colored tubes based on the family of antibiotics to identify the most effective antibiotic against microbes in pathological laboratories, which help the patient recover soon.
Faster and more accurate results, as well as higher quality and ease of use, are the main advantages of this nano-based product.
Erythromycin, penicillin, sulfonamide, tetracycline and vancomycin are among a large class of drugs that prevent the growth of bacteria (bacteriostatic) or kill bacteria (bactericidal). Each class of antibiotics has an effect on specific bacteria and will not affect other microorganisms and viruses.
Different samples taken from a patient, including blood, feces, urine and sputum, are usually subjected to an antibiogram.
After the growth of the bacteria in the appropriate growth medium, the sample undergoes the staining process (also known as Gram staining) before the antibiogram test is performed.
After the sample is cultured in the growth medium, the antibiogram disk is placed in it and the result is checked after 2-4 days.
Karma Azma Andish Development and Equipment Company has also produced an antibiograph device for testing, which can be used independently without a need for a computer.
