The use of nanocomponents could pave the way to merge and shrink components such as a computer, TV, telephone and GPS system into a device as small as a wrist watch, but manufacturing nanostructured materials presents a number of challenges that must be overcome first.

Nanostructured materials including ceramics and metal-ceramic composites have received much attention in recent years. The appeal is their ability to display unusual physical and mechanical properties such as superplasticity in ceramics and transparency for usually opaque materials among many other unique properties. For example, the use of nanocomponents could pave the way to merge and shrink components such as a computer, TV, telephone and GPS system into a device as small as a wrist watch. While nanosize powders offering these properties have currently been produced successfully-sometimes in relatively large quantities-a number of challenges still need to be surmounted if engineering parts are to be manufactured. Most likely, "bottom-up" approaches will probably be the long-term solution. However, these may not be available for several years, and will require industry to completely retool. Therefore there is considerable mileage to be gained by examining what can be achieved practically now using a "top-down" approach based on existing manufacturing facilities. This brief discussion outlines work underway at Loughborough University in the field of advanced ceramics.