ABSTRACT
In the wider media, as well as in industrial and policy circles, nanotechnology is often seen as ‘the most promising technology of the moment’ or ‘the next big thing’ as Ratner and Ratner (2003) phrase it. High expectations have led to high investments—global investment in nanotechnology in 2005 was estimated at more than US$3 billion (Berube 2006). Within this broad and exciting development nano-coatings are an important emerging technology, showing a relatively high level of commercial activity and promising many useful applications, including cleaner products and processes (Garnett and Fried 2001; van Lente and van Til 2008). Therefore, nanotechnology is a useful research area to investigate the processes associated with articulating sustainability.
