South Africa May Build Nanotechnology Plant for Gold Nanoparticles
South Africa may build a US$57 million nanotechnology plant at Rand Refinery, the world’s largest gold refinery, if ongoing experiments prove that gold nanoparticles can be used as catalysts to detoxify air in mines. The article says that if the plant is built, an unnamed foreign buyer plans to purchase 20 percent of the gold produced by South Africa to produce a new product, which has also not yet been disclosed. The project is being led by a consortium of gold and mineral processing companies called AuTek. The article says that AuTek wants to establish a “viable industry by manufacturing new products using home-grown technologies,” but that this is only possible if scientific infrastructure, such as equipment and personnel, is available. In order to develop such infrastructure, the South African government is planning to invest US$74 million in nanotechnology equipment, laboratories, and university curricula. The article says that the Science and Technology Department believes that some of the first commercial nanotechnology applications may be water purification systems, cost-effective solar power systems, soil fertility treatments, and drug delivery methods. The article says that South African paper manufacturer Sappi is already researching whether nanotechnology can be used to monitor temperature, termites, and fungus in its forests. Derek Hanekom, the deputy minister of the Science and Technology Department, said that the government is committed to creating an attractive political and regulatory climate for nanotechnology because it could attract international investment.
