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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

Are conventional protective devices also efficient against nanoaerosols ?

Submitted by webmaster on Thu, 31/01/2008 - 21:34. category: - access: public
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Are conventional protective devices such as fibrous filter media, respirator cartridges, protective clothing and gloves also efficient for nanoaerosols?

Long before the final conclusions of toxicology research studies on the potential hazard of nanomaterials, it is today necessary to apply the principle of precaution by implementing among other, efficient personal protections against engineered nanoparticles. In this study, carried out in the frame of the Nanosafe2 project, different conventional individual protection devices well-qualified for micron size particles such as fibrous filters, repirator cartridges, protective clothing and gloves were tested with graphite nanoparticles ranging from 10 to 150 nm.

Main results

  • Fibrous filters are even more efficient for nanoparticles!
  • HEPA filters, respirator cartridges and mask made with fibrous filters are even more efficient for nanoparticles.
  • Non woven fabrics seem much more efficient (air-tight materials) against nanoparticle penetration.
  • Warning: Nanoparticles may penetrate through commercially available gloves! Thus use at least 2 layers of gloves.

Download this report DR-325_326-200801-1-final.pdf.

Last updated on Wed, 27/02/2008 - 08:39
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