The rapidly developing field of nanotechnologies presents many opportunities and benefits for new materials with significantly improved properties as well as revolutionary applications in the fields of energy, environment, medicine, etc. The industrial production and use of nanoparticles will be the driving force for the emerging new materials industry of the 21st century. However, the potential impact of these new materials on human health and the environment is viewed with apprehension. This is the purpose of NANOSAFE2 which is an EU funded Integrated Project divided into four subprojects, where different groups work on selected subjects.

Welcome to NANOSAFE2 project

Project hot news

Nanosafe2 releases its first "Dissemination report"

Submitted by webmaster on Thu, 31/01/2008 - 22:14. category: - access: public

Dissemination reports from Nanosafe2 project are designed to highlight and present in a simplified way the main results obtained in the studies carried out during this project. These reports mainly deal with one question which is of general concern for whom is interested by the safe production and use of nanomaterials. The full results are summarized in corresponding Technical reports which will be released soon.

This first report is about conventional protective devices such as fibrous filter media, respirator cartridges, protective clothing and gloves and their efficiency against nanoaerosols. Read more about it on http://www.nanosafe.org/node/907.

Last updated on Thu, 07/02/2008 - 12:21
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Dissemination Reports

What about explosivity and flammability of nanopowders?

Submitted by webmaster on Wed, 27/02/2008 - 07:59. category: - access: public
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What about explosivity and flammability of nanopowders?

One of the main questions asked about nanopowders, when it comes to explosivity and flammability, is: Do nanopowders behave like other powders and, as such, can they more readily ignite and explode? During this study, carried out in the frame of the European Nanosafe2 project, safety parameters of nanopowders and their associated techniques and practices have been characterised for a representative set of particles of industrial relevance.

Main results

  • New confined stainless steel Hartmann tube and falling hammer equipment help bring experiments to a higher degree of safety and efficiency
  • Lesson: Studied carbon nanotubes exhibit explosion severities and sensitivities of the same order as those found for various coals, food flours and other nanostructured carbon blacks.
  • Lesson: For metallic aluminum nanopowders, the small oxyde layer wrapping passivated nanoparticles may make them less explosible than micropowders.
  • Lesson: Nanopowders which tend to agglomerate show explosion violence characteristics of the same order as those observed with micropowders of the same substance.
  • Lesson: Onset temperature of carbon materials strongly depends on the specific surface area of those materials.
  • Warning: For aluminum, combustion mechanisms of nanosized particles are different from those observed with microsized particles. This may lead to potential problems of large scale industrial storage of such particles.
    Advice: Specific prevention and protection measures should then be taken.

Download this report DR-152-200802-2.pdf.

Last updated on Thu, 28/02/2008 - 07:35

Nanopaper(s) of the month

A comparison of dispersing media for various engineered carbon nanoparticles

Submitted by webmaster on Thu, 08/11/2007 - 15:50. category: - access: public
Last updated on Thu, 08/11/2007 - 18:11

Nanopaper(s) of the month by month

june 2007 may 2007 october 2007

Find all the Nanopapers of the month here.

NANOSAFE2 project newsletter - Issue 3

Hot news from the world

EU nanotechnology R&D in the field of health and environmental impact of nanoparticles

Submitted by webmaster on Thu, 31/01/2008 - 20:59. access: public

EU nanotechnology R&D in the field of health and environmental impact of nanoparticles - Cordis: The present compilation aims at gathering the most complete overview of past and ongoing research projects funded by the FPs, EU Member States, Candidate Countries and Countries associated to FP6 or FP7 in the area of possible impacts in health, environment and safety of nanoparticles. [Nanoforum]

Last updated on Thu, 31/01/2008 - 21:01
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