Silica is a widely used material that is abundant in nature (mostly as quartz) as well as in living organisms. Its diverse applications include paints and coatings as a thixotropic or thickening agent, and as an anti-settling agent. It is used in the microelectronics industry in chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). It is also used to clarify beer. In each application, the size of the silica nanoparticles plays a critical role. For instance, the silica particles used for CMP must be small enough to avoid scratching the delicate silicon wafer, but large enough to remove unwanted materials quickly and cost-effectively.
Poll: Should the UK’s railways be renationalised?
Rail passenger numbers declined from 1.27 million in 1946 to 735,000 in 1994 a fall of 42% over 49 years. In 2019 the last pre-Covid year the number...