Get (nano)materials

ISO (2015) defines a nanomaterial as a: 'material with any external dimension in the nanoscale (size range from approximately 1 100 nm) or having internal structure or surface structure in the nanoscale'.

Why Nanomaterials Are Important For Engineering: Nanoengineered materials can be designed to have greater structural strength, chemical sensitivity, conductivity, or optical properties. ... Nanomaterials can be used as lubricant additives, having the ability to reduce friction in moving parts.

Nanomaterials are chemical substances or materials that are manufactured and used at a very small scale. ... By derogation from the above, fullerenes, graphene flakes and single wall carbon nanotubes with one or more external dimensions below 1 nm should be considered as nanomaterials.

Nanotechnology can be used to design pharmaceuticals that can target specific organs or cells in the body such as cancer cells, and enhance the effectiveness of therapy. Nanomaterials can also be added to cement, cloth and other materials to make them stronger and yet lighter.

An example of how the unique properties of nanoparticles have been put to use in a nanocomposite material is the modern rubber tire, which typically is a composite of a rubber (an elastomer) and an inorganic filler (a reinforcing particle), such as carbon black or silica nanoparticles.

It is likely that exposure of nanoparticles involves certain risks. The toxicity of nanomaterials can vary from those that are non-toxic or slightly toxic to those that are highly toxic. Fiber-shaped nanoparticles are often considered especially toxic, and animal studies have shown that some are even carcinogenic.

Natural sources of nanoparticles include combustion products forest fires, volcanic ash, ocean spray, and the radioactive decay of radon gas. Natural nanomaterials can also be formed through weathering processes of metal- or anion-containing rocks, as well as at acid mine drainage sites.

The SCENIHR opinion states: Nanoparticles are now being used in the manufacture of scratchproof eyeglasses, crack- resistant paints, anti-graffiti coatings for walls, transparent sunscreens, stain-repellent fabrics, self-cleaning windows and ceramic coatings for solar cells.

Just like any other chemical substance, some nanomaterials are hazardous and others not. The nanoscale of the particles does not in itself imply a hazard. Instead the potential effects are based on the adverse effects a nanomaterial may cause and the amount taken up by an organism (humans or an animal).