Exactly why I have always been skeptical about the industrial potential of nanotechnology, I cannot say. I heard the first serious discussions about it a decade or so ago – and at that time the emphasis seemed to be on “nanomanufacturing,” i.e., the idea that designing and producing very small devices could leverage savings in material costs, production costs, logistics, and so on. I didn’t buy it – and I still don’t.

I admit my objections are rooted in my ignorance – perhaps even a willful ignorance — but I can’t buy into the idea that economies are going to change because of products people cannot see.

It’s probably closer to the truth to say I have a reflexive aversion to “nano” ideas because, in concept, nanotechnology builds on a broad premise of limitations. That is, it seems to me that proponents of nanotechnology believe they will be proven correct and prescient because the world is desperately short of vital resources. And that is an implication I reject.

However, nanotechnology is a much more expansive field of research than I have allowed for in my aversion. The frequently reliable Wikipedia explains to me that “nanotechnology is a highly multidisciplinary field, drawing from fields such as applied physics, materials science, interface and colloid science, device physics, supramolecular chemistry (which refers to the area of chemistry that focuses on the noncovalent bonding interactions of molecules), self-replicating machines and robotics, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering, biological engineering, and electrical engineering.”

There’s a lot more there – and a long way to go before I begin to see some human application, or some commercial implication. Thanks to Ford Motor Co., I may be getting closer.

At the SAE World Congress this week, Ford researchers revealed some specific ways they have used nanotechnology to develop paints, plastics, metal alloys, and catalysts, to reduce vehicle weights. (I promise – no sarcastic cracks that  put “Ford” and “shrinking” in the punchline.)

For example, Ford reveals that a research study it commissioned — "Atoms to Engines" — examined the structure of cast aluminum alloys at “near atomic levels,” which led to a close analysis of “the structure/property/process relationship” of aluminum alloys used to cast engine blocks, and ultimately to lighten the products.

Matthew Zaluzec, manager of the Materials Science & Nanotechnology Dept. for Ford Research and Advanced Engineering, says that this nanotechnological approach of studying the materials and manufacturing process helped "to pull out another 10% in structural performance out of our engines, which directly translates into weight and fuel economy savings year over year. It's nano at the working level."

A new technology Ford presented at the SAE event was developed at its research lab in Aachen, Germany. There, they are developing a nano-coating that could be thermal-sprayed inside aluminum engine cylinders for wear resistance, replacing cast iron liners.  Ford researchers also are evaluating surface-coating applications that could improve paint adhesion, appearance, and durability.

"Industry is becoming more efficient at creating nanoparticles," according to Zaluzec. "Our challenge is to take those nanoparticles, separate them, and disperse them into existing materials in a way that makes our vehicles lighter, more durable, and more fuel efficient."

We shall see. Or maybe, we won’t.