Demonstrator Component of Nanomaterials Characterisation

The project funded by TSB was part of the PROSPEcT LINK project which picked up on the seminal work and recommendations of the UK Royal Society & Royal Academy of Engineering report on the opportunities and challenges posed by nanotechnologies , providing a direct contribution to the global safety assessment of nanomaterials described by the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN)

Naneum’s part in the project was to develop a prototype instrument for real-time detection and monitoring of engineered nanoparticles against background.
A prototype of a portable instrument was developed which was capable of characterising Engineered Nanoparticles according to size, concentration, morphology and chemical nature. In future such data will provide a “fingerprint” which will enable specific engineered nanoparticles to be distinguished from background. The technology for the device is based on innovative techniques to develop a two/three dimensional matrix of particle properties based on simultaneous measurement of diffusivity equivalent diameter, and chemically sensitive condensation nucleation. These measurements will allow the instrument to be calibrated to identify types of nanoparticles, e.g. soot, carbon nanotubes, metals, metal oxides etc.