Services
A company aiming to use nanomaterials to commercial advantage needs only to come to NanoCentral. At no cost, we will put together technology Providers to deliver a solution that works.
The Network of technology platforms, co-ordinated by NanoCentral at the Hub, reflects tomorrow’s nanomaterials supply chain today.
The Range
For a nanomaterial to go from production to end-use, it typically progresses through the four technology platforms listed below. The biggest barrier to commercialisation has been the fragmented nature of this supply chain. Providers tend to specialise in a particular stage. Many are new. NanoCentral is now here to co-ordinate these activities and enable you to achieve success through nanomaterials.
Nanomaterial Synthesis
Customers need access to a wide range of reasonably priced nanomaterials in quantities appropriate for feasibility and development programmes. These should be produced using a number of different processing techniques, thereby providing customers with a wide choice of material properties and characteristics. Open access to nanomaterial production processes will encourage customers, previously dissuaded by high risk and capital cost, to evaluate nanomaterials as part of their product offerings.
Dispersion, Functionalisation and Formulation
With the exception of a few specialised applications, nanomaterials need to be supplied in a stable form within a carrier compatible with forward processing steps. The inability of nanomaterial producers (particularly of smaller ones) to provide end-users with nanomaterials in a consistent, well formulated and dispersed form has been a significant obstacle to commercialisation. We can help you overcome this barrier.
Applications Development
Once nanomaterials have been dispersed and stablilised, they typically go through further processing such as extrusion, injection moulding, inkjet printing, spray coating etc. Nanomaterials behave differently in these applications, delivering different benefits and properties. Currently, there is a lack of open access applications equipment to provide answers and characterise the material before and after processing. Equally important is to understand the impact of nanomaterials on applications equipment in terms of handling, flow, erosion and health & safety.
Characterisation
The development of new nanomaterials in the UK is frustrated by difficulties in sourcing well-characterised raw materials supplied consistently to specification. The Network’s characterisation platform is designed to address this issue. Incremental development of the Network will involve linking this platform with other UK centres of expertise in metrology and characterisation in order to broaden its scope.
Safety, Health and Environment
Despite science fiction tales of self-replicating nano machines reducing the planet to grey goo, there is no widespread public concern about nanotechnology. However, media interest and pressure group attention is understandable and a necessary part of the governance of science. Public debate on the balance between risks and benefits needs to take place sooner rather than later. As yet there is not enough data about the effects of all the available engineered nanomaterials on the human body and the environment. NanoCentral is well placed to help ensure these uncertainties will be addressed urgently in a coherent, scientific way through our partnership with SAFEnano.