Interest in nanotechnology has never been higher, and the global market for nano-materials is projected to reach $900 million by 2005. Today, manufacturers of ultra-small particles, crystals and devices are working with end users, to tailor their inventions so they more closely meet the technical specifications of the anticipated end product.

Chemical methods for both eliminating and masking noxious odors have wide applicability throughout the chemical process industries. This article offers guidance for comparing such treatment chemicals as lime, caustic, chlorine, potassium permanganate, hydrogen peroxide, ozone and various proprietary compounds, and presents several case-history examples Keep your plant smelling like a rose.

As material scientists and chemical engineers continue to envision what smaller and smaller particles and devices can do, several manufacturers are already commercializing nanoparticle-related inventions that aim to improve the way electronic components are made, how 'smart' packaging functions, the way rechargeable batteries perform, and how diagnostic tools and therapeutic remedies combat illness.