1. Presentation 1: Examples of uses of nanomaterials at work

2. Sectors / products using nanomaterials
Nano is used already in the following product categories and therefore sectors manufacturing or using these products:
(TRAINER NOTES: PICTURES APPEAR ON CLICKS FOR EACH OF THE PRODUCT CATEGORIES BELOW. YOU CAN GIVE EXAMPLES OF NANOMATERIALS DETAILED FOR EACH OF THE PRODUCT CATEGORIES)
1 Agriculture, food processing and packaging:
THERE IS A SEPARATE SLIDE LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION ON THESE SECTORS, SO NO USE IN GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS HERE
Nanomaterials used: nano-silver, nano-iron, nano-silica
Agriculture: used in pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers and animal feed
Food processing: used mostly in spreads, mayonnaise, cream, yoghurts, ice creams, etc. to give new tastes, improved textures, consistency and stability of emulsions.
Food additives: used in foods, health foods, supplements and nutraceuticals, to enhance nutritional profile through improved absorption and bioavailability in the body.
Food contact materials (packaging): used for improved mechanical properties, as gas barriers, for ultraviolet light protection or antimicrobial activity, and nano(bio)sensors for innovative labelling of packaged food products (e.g. the packaging turns a different colour when the food starts to go off).
2 Automotive:
carbon black, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide are a small number of nanomaterials used.
a wide variety of uses of nanomaterials features in this sector, from paints and coatings, electronics, catalytic converters, batteries, tyres and textiles, for scratch resistance, self-cleaning, higher performance, colour brilliance and electro-static spray painting
3 Building and construction:
THERE IS A SEPARATE SLIDE LATER IN THIS PRESENTATION ON THIS SECTOR, SO NO USE IN GOING INTO TOO MANY DETAILS HERE
same as for automotive, for the same properties
4 Cosmetics and personal care:
titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are used in sunscreens as they do not have the white colour of previous sunscreens, they offer strong sun protection and do not degrade in the sun
5 Electronic equipment:
various nanomaterials used for different reasons, but generally are introduced to achieve higher energy efficiency: quantum dots are increasingly combined with organic light emitting diodes in monitors to achieve higher energy efficiency and higher resolution in electronic/computer monitors;
6 Energy:
nanotechnology improves design of lithium-ion batteries allowing for faster charging and discharging; carbon nanotubes are used in “smart paint” on wind turbines to help reduce weathering effects, and the conductivity of the paint has also allowed for the use of remote control sensors to identify and “cracking” on the wind turbine blades
7 Paints and coatings:
silicon dioxide and titanium dioxide are used for improved scratch resistance and “self-cleaning” properties. Nanoscale materials have long been used in production of these products – e.g. iron oxide as colouring pigments – but technological advances mean it is possible to more purposely manufacture and use nanomaterials and these are used to functionalize surfaces, to protect them from corrosion and dirt, and from graffiti or to create attractive designs by special colour effects
8 Inks for printing:
same as for paints and coatings
9 Medical and health care:
various nanomaterials are used, to date these are mostly carbon nanotubes and nanoforms of silicon, gold, platinum and silver
some examples include nanosilver for wound management and prevention of bacterial infections; magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to improve visualization of small tumours; use of liposomes (hollow nanostructures) to deliver therapeutic drugs more directly to tumours
10 Military and protection:
very little publicly available data on this, but some foreseen potential developments include: electronics and computers due to their smaller size, higher computing capacities, and higher energy efficiency could be used in rifles, glasses, uniforms, mini- and micro-robots, munitions); lighter, stronger and more heat-resistant materials could be used for higher speed and agility for conventional ground, water and air vehicles, as well as for lighter energy-storage and conversion systems (such as fuel cells using nano-particle-based membranes). Mobile pigment particles can be used for camouflage and can reduce radar and infrared signatures. Used in clothes, nanomaterials could offer better protection against projectiles. Advances in materials and explosives could lead to enhanced shooting ranges in lighter weight guns
11 Sports equipment:
carbon nanotubes are used, for instance, in tennis rackets to increase strength and make them lighter-weight
12 Textiles:
examples of nanomaterials used are nano-silver, titanium dioxide, carbon black, carbon nanotubes for functions such as anti-microbial properties (silver, titanium dioxide), increased durability and fire resistance (carbon nanotubes)
13 Water treatment:
most commonly used nanomaterials are titanium, carbon nanotubes, nanosilver, iron and dendrimers to help purify water such as through adsorption of heavy metals and other pollutants, removal and inactivation of pathogens and transformation of toxic materials into less toxic compounds.
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3. Construction sector
More generally, construction uses include composite materials to improve strength, stiffness, electrical conductivity or heat resistance
Cement, concrete and wet mortar (e.g. nano-binders in ultra-high performance concrete)
Steel (increased strength, reduced wear, reduced cracks, strengthened welds)
Glass (temperature control, heat resistant, self-cleaning, anti-reflection)
Insulation materials – thermal, noise, temperature regulation (aero-gel, vacuum insulation panels)
Coating and paints (e.g. UV and water sensitive coatings for self-cleaning buildings, graffiti-resistant paints; electro-chromic windows, flame retardance, anti-bacterial, scratch resistance)
Road and other infrastructure construction (longer life, water-repellence, noise reduction, energy collection, self-cleaning)
Wood – protective coatings, to prevent wear and erosion, algal growth, infestation by woodworm and termites, UV/light degradation,
For many construction uses, nanomaterials remain very expensive in production processes to easily replace conventional products. This is the case for cement and concrete – the construction industry uses a large volume of these products which are produced as cheaply as possible; also for vacuum insulation panels which are expensive as well as sensitive to mechanical damage of the vacuum during cutting (sizing).
In general terms, construction uses of nanomaterials include composite materials to improve strength, stiffness, electrical conductivity or heat resistance
Photos:
TOP LEFT - Cement: Ultra sonic mixing for high performance concrete (nano-silica or carbon nanotubes)
TOP RIGHT - Building: The Jubilee Church in Rome, one of the most often quoted successes of photo catalytic concrete (self-cleaning) by the addition of titanium dioxide
MIDDLE LEFT - Wet concrete: water-repellent nano-coating
MIDDLE RIGHT - Insulation: aerogels and nanofoams are used for thermal insulation, usually using silica or carbon-based nanomaterials
PAINT CONTAINER: Paint: Anti-microbial properties are supposedly added to this paint through nano-silver but their function is questionable (as in this case, the walls would need to be water-washed regularly to release the silver ions to have the self-cleaning/anti-microbial effect
BOTTOM LEFT – Window: self-cleaning, as well as solar heat adsorbing to block infrared light entering the building and heating it up, so reducing or eliminating the need for cooling systems (glass sheets with a laminated polymer film containing solar heat adsorbing nanoparticles – such as tungsten oxide
BOTTOM RIGHT - Pavement: self-cleaning as well as pollution-control (here the picture is of paving blocks containing TiO2 to reduce NOx levels (by converting nitrogen oxides to nitrate NO3-)
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4. Construction sector (cont/d)
This slide shows all the different products containing nanomaterials that could feature in a house
They include:
self-cleaning roofing tiles
Flame retardant roof insulation
Solar cells for energy supply
Non-reflecting glass for solar celles
Windows that control heat and light transfer
Dirt-resistant floor covering
Flame retardant doors, windows and cables
Domestic fuel cells
Concrete structures
Windows and trims
Self-cleaning surfaces such as walls and windows
High-efficiency wall insulation
Ceramic foils for wall coatings
Anti-fingerprint and biocidal panels and furniture
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5. Agriculture and food production/processing
Key areas of development are “nanostructures” (or “nanotextures”) in foodstuffs and nano-sized or nano-encapsulated food additives
Nanotextures used in spreads, mayonnaise, cream, yoghurts, ice creams, etc.
Nano-encapsulated food additives include colours, preservatives, flavourings and supplements (neutraceuticals)
Both uses are claimed to give new and enhanced tastes, improved textures, consistency and stability of emulsions
Agriculture
Limited public information on use as no legal requirement to identify nanomaterials in agricultural products
Nanomaterials presumed used for improved delivery of agrochemicals in the field, better efficacy of pesticides and better control of dosing of veterinary products: e.g. slow- or controlled-release fertilizers/pesticides.
Worker exposure to nanomaterials relates to workers in food and feed processing and on farms
Food production/processing
Both uses are claimed to give new and enhanced tastes, improved textures, consistency and stability of emulsions (to prevent food from forming clumps), to make food whiter, to detect when food is going bad and as anti-microbials to prevent food spoilage
Nanotextures use nano-emulsions, surfactant micelles, emulsion bilayers, double or multiple emulsions and reverse micelles
Agriculture
The applications can be divided into 4 areas: nano-pesticides (including nano versions of existing pesticides), encapsulations and emulsions (so covering a pesticide or herbicide with a nano-formulation), nano-fertilisers and animal feed (minerals, vitamins, additives and supplements)
These products are generally intended to be more targeted in delivery, more toxic, to have greater persistence on leaves and to allow reduced quantities of chemicals to be used with greater effect.
FOE factsheets
make up the largest uses of nanomaterials relating to food and food processing. Metal oxides (such as iron oxide), nanoclays, nanosilver, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, nano silica are used for improved mechanical properties, as gas barriers, for ultraviolet light protection or antimicrobial activity, and nano(bio)sensors for innovative labelling of packaged food products (e.g. the packaging turns a different colour when the food starts to go off).
References: FAO/WHO technical report on state of the art on initiatives and activities relevant to risk assessment and risk management of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors ( and FAO/WHO Expert meeting on the application of nanotechnologies in the food and agriculture sectors: potential food safety implications (
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6. Textiles
Used in uniforms, laboratory coats, outdoor clothing, protective clothing (firefighters,)
Nanomaterials provide key properties: antistatic, self-cleaning (dirt and water repellence), moisture absorbency, UV protection, increased durability, antimicrobial, fire resistance, heat insulation, shielding of electromagnetic radiation
We show a slide on textiles here because it is another source of potential worker exposure to nanomaterials:
This affects not only workers in textile factories, but also those workers wearing clothing provided by employers (outdoor wear, security clothing, firefighters, police officers, people who wear laboratory coats – including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, researchers)
Studies have shown that nanomaterials from clothes can migrate into the skin through sweating
Most widely used NMs in textiles: silver, silicon dioxide, Ti02, ZO, aluminium (hydr)oxides, nanoclay, carbon nanotubes, and carbon black
Making composite fabric with nano-sized particles or fibers allows improvement of fabric properties without a significant increase in weight, thickness, or stiffness as might have been the case with previously-used  techniques. For example incorporating nano-whiskers into fabric used to make trousers produces a lightweight water and stain repellent material.
Current Nanotechnology Applications
“Nanowhiskers” that cause water to bead up, making the fabric water and stain resistant.
Nano-silver in fabric that kills bacteria making clothing odor- resistant.
“Nanopores” that provide better insulation for shoe inserts in cold weather. 
Nanoparticles that provide a "lotus plant" effect for fabric used awnings and other material left out in the weather, causing dirt to rinse off in the rain.
Nanotechnology Applications under Development
Battery created by coating a fabric with nanoparticles, solar cell fabric, clothing protective against hazardous chemicals using a honeycomb of polyurethane nanofibres, fibres that allow clothing to generate electricity through normal motion, and stretchable fabric made of proteins (so clothing is form-fitting)
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7. Pigments
Used in paints and coatings for decorative (e.g. deeper colour intensity) and protective (e.g. resistance to corrosion, wear, scratching, graffiti) purposes
Relevant to the printing, painting and electronics sectors, and those using inks, paints, and pigments (e.g. transportation (automotive, ships, trains), construction, communications)
Many nanomaterials used for light absorption so have brighter colours
Nano has long been used in colouring products, but is more specifically engineered now to create particles in nano-scale
Pigments are used across a very wide range of sectors and uses: in paints and ink products, used in sectors as wide as transportation, construction, printing, electronics
In the table we see the functions, the types of nanomaterials, their functions, and sectors where they are used
The main effect of nano-sized pigments is to intensify colours and to improve their colour-fastness (so resistance to fading), but also have been used to prevent crack formation in paint application
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