Anti-counterfeiting nanofiber

Novel nanoscalefibers that can be placed inside a garment or paper document and serve as afingerprint that proves the garment or document is genuine.
Atabout 150 nanometers in diameter, the fibers are smaller than living cells andinvisible to the naked eye. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter.Thetiny fibers are designed to have within them even smaller nanoparticles with anelectrical, magnetic or optical signature that can prove a product genuine. Theproduct would need only be scanned, or read, by a device looking for theparticular signature.Forexample, name-brand clothing with nanofibers can be scanned atdifferent points in the supply chain to ensure pirated clothing doesn't getinto retail outlets or into your closet. Passports with nanofibers can bescanned to ensure their legitimacy. Ostensibly, paper money with nanofibers wouldhelp ensure fake twenties don't get into your wallet or the grocer's till.Thefibers can essentially serve as molecular bar codes. We cancontrol the position, frequency and distribution of particles inside thefibers, and their signature.

Source: physorg.comAdded: 20 October 2006