More than 100 participants, including academicians and students from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM), researchers, engineers, and businessmen attended last week a two-day seminar promoting public awareness regarding the benefits of nanotechnology. The aim of the seminar was to integrate the scientific aspects of nanoscience and technology with lasting relationships between industry and academe, and between scientists, technologists and engineers in Saudi Arabia. The seminar, entitled “Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs): Synthesis, Purification and Characterization and Applications,” was organized by the Center of Research Excellence in Nanotechnology (CENT) at KFUPM. Nanotechnology, or Nanotech for short, refers to a field of applied science whose theme is the control of matter on an atomic and molecular scale, according to Dr. Zain Hasan Yamani, the Director of CENT. Carbon nanotubes, the subject of discussion during the seminar, have potential in fields such as electronics, materials science, and architecture. Over the years, new discoveries have led to new applications, often taking advantage of their unique electrical properties, extraordinary strength, and efficiency in heat conduction, according to scientists who addressed the seminar. The speakers included Dr. Muataz Ali, Dr. Tahar Laoui, Dr. Faraj Abuilaiwi, and Dr. Khaled Mezghani, all from KFUPM. Representatives from companies, such as Saudi Aramco and Tasnee, and universities such as KACST, Umm Al-Qura University, Taibah University, King Saud University, and King Abdulaziz University, were present during the seminar. The workshop was attended by ladies who were provided with special audio-visual arrangements. The seminar succeeded in opening up new doors to attract scientists interested in the area of nanotechnology, according to Dr. Faraj Abuilaiwi, the event coordinator.
