7. Applications and industrial prospects

Fine powders, and nanoparticles in particular, are currently finding a growing number of applications in a variety of industries: semiconductors, catalysts, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food products, plastics, powder metallurgy, etc. Indeed, the small particle size and very large specific surface area of these materials give them specific and unique properties (physical, chemical, mechanical, optical, electrical, magnetic, etc.). The development of nanoparticles is one of the most active areas of research worldwide. Several industrialized countries have made nanoparticles a strategic priority for technological and economic development