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Found 59 results.

Nano-particle products from new mineral resources in Europe (ProMine)

The objectives of the ProMine IP address the Commission s concerns over the annual 11 billion trade deficit in metal and mineral imports. Europe has to enhance the efficiency of its overall production chain putting higher quality and added value products on the market. ProMine focuses on two parts of this chain, targeting extractive and end-user industries. Upstream, the first ever Pan-EU GIS based mineral resource and advanced modeling system for the extractive industry will be created, showing known and predicted, metallic and non-metallic mineral occurrences across the EU. Detailed 4D computer models will be produced for four metalliferous regions. Upstream work will also include demonstrating the reliability of new (Bio) technologies for an eco-efficient production of strategic metals, driven by the creation of on-site added value and the identification of specific needs of potential end-users. Downstream, a new strategy will be developed for the European extractive industry which looks not only at increasing production but also at delivering high value, tailored nano-products which will form the new raw materials for the manufacturing industry. ProMine research will focus on five nano-products, (Conductive metal (Cu, Ag, Au) fibres, rhenium and rhenium alloy powders, nano-silica, iron oxyhydroxysulphate and new nano-particle based coatings for printing paper), which will have a major impact on the economic viability of the extractive industry. They will be tested at bench scale, and a number selected for development to pilot scale where larger samples can be provided for characterisation and testing by end-user industries. It will include production, testing and evaluation of these materials, with economic evaluation, life cycle cost analysis, and environmental sustainability. ProMine with 26 partners from 11 EU member states, has a strong industrial involvement while knowledge exploitation will transfer ProMine results to the industrial community.

European observatory for science-based and economic expert analysis of nanotechnologies, cognisant of barriers and risks, to engage with relevant stakeholders regarding benefits and opportunities (OBSERVATORYNANO)

Objective: observatoryNANO brings together leading EU organizations who collectively have expertise in the technological; economic; societal/ethical; health, safety, and environmental analysis of nanotechnologies. Its primary aim is to develop appropriate methodologies to link scientific and technological development of nanotechnologies with socio-economic impacts. Both of these aspects will be enhanced by expert opinion, making this project unique in providing relevant web-based reports in a common format across all sectors, considered by all criteria, and widely publicized. observatoryNANO will become an industry leading and opinion forming catalyst for nanotechnology in the EU. The purpose is to avoid the exaggerated socio-economic impact of nanotechnologies and place developments in a realistic time-frame. It will present a reliable, complete, and responsible science-based and economic expert analysis of peer-reviewed literature, patents, national funding strategies, investment trends, and markets; in combination with information derived from questionnaires, interviews and workshops with academic and industry leaders, investors, and other key stakeholders.

Cellular interaction and Toxicology with engineered Nanoparticles (CELLNANOTOX)

Objective: The present proposal aims at the development of innovative multidisciplinary sets of tests and indicators for toxicological profiling of nanoparticles (NPs) as well as unravelling the correlation between the physicochemical characteristics of NPs and their toxic potential on various organs of the human body. For a comprehensive understanding of the complex data to be obtained on toxicology of NPs, based on in-vitro and ex-vivo studies, we will employ conventional toxicology combined with the methodologies of toxicogenomics, metabonomics, Knowledge Discovery from Data (KDD) and Data Mining (DM). This research program is focused towards understanding the relation of size and surface chemistry on the deposition, uptake, translocation, and toxicity of a few s elected industrially important NPs as well as novel synthesized NPs, whose size and surface chemistry will be methodically modified. Since it was shown that the penetration of NPs into the human body proceeds principally through inhalation or orally, whereas penetration through healthy skin is restricted, we have chosen lung and intestine as the primary interacting tissues/organs with NPs, while liver, kidney and the immunological system have been selected to be the secondary major sites of interaction, following the penetration of NPs into the blood circulation. The interaction of the NPs with these different target organs will be studied by making use of alternative methods to animal experimentation by employing in-vitro cell systems as well as ex-vivo studies based on precision-cut slices of lung, liver and kidney. The present proposal addresses the needs of the European society for assessing the risk of occupational and general population exposure to industrially manufactured NPs. It will generate new knowledge on potential health risk or the absence of it, providing objective arguments for recommendations and regulations.

Carbon Nanotubes for Applications in Electronics, Catalysis, Composites and Nano-Biology (CANAPE)

Objective: A major limitation on the application of the unique properties of carbon nanotubes has been their high cost and lack of availability. This IP brings together leading laboratories and companies within Europe to produce nanotubes on a bulk scale of ultimately tons per year. The large-scale growth of carbon nanotubes will be developed by chemical vapour deposition (CVD). The applications in electronics as interconnects and vias for integrated circuits, for field effect transistors, and spin coherent transport will be developed. Field emission will be developed further for use in microwave amplifiers and micron scale x-ray sources. Electronic applications will be enabled by controlled growth in plasma enhanced CVD and thermal CVD. Multi-wall CNTs will be used as a catalyst in large-scale chemical reactions such as the dehydrogenation of ethyl benzene to styrene. Control of the nanotube internal orientation to give the herring bone microstructure is needed for catalysis, as plane edges are catalytically active. Fictionalisation of CNTs will be extended, in order to improve the performance of structural, electrically conducting and thermally conducting nanotube-polymer composites. Dispersion of nanotubes at high loading will be achieved in polymers to obtain high strength composites. Nanotubes are known to act as high energy density actuators, or 'artificial muscles'. Nanobiological devices will be fabricated based on self-assembly and molecular absorption. A toxicological study of CNTs particularly with respect to possible health hazards will be carried out, and nanotube/polymer composites will be tested for biocompatibility. Public acceptance of nanomaterials and nanotechnology will be encouraged by publicity and poling. Training, workshops and conferences will be held, and to promote technology transfer from universities and research institutes to companies. SMEs will be dominant in the CVD, catalysis and composite applications

CARBOPREC - Renewable source nanostructured precursors for carbon fibers

More and more industrial sectors (e.g. automotive, wind energy, boatbuilding) are demanding lightweight and high-performance composite materials, which represent a strong driver to develop the carbon fibre (CF) industry. Today, almost 80% of CF available on the market are using PolyAcryloNitrile (PAN) as the starting raw material because of its superior properties compared to pitch based carbon fibres. However, CF produced from PAN are expensive which limit their application to premium industrial sectors looking for high-performance structural materials while accepting high material costs (e.g. aeronautics, military devices, and sport goods). The strategic objective of CARBOPREC is to develop low cost precursors from renewable materials widely available in Europe (lignin and cellulose) reinforced by carbon nanotube (CNT) to produce high performance CF for automotive and wind energy applications. To achieve this objective, two white fibre processes will be studied to produce continuous fibres: - Wet spinning approach for the cellulose dissolved in phosphoric acid (H3PO4); - Melt spinning by extrusion for the lignin. Moreover, the carbonization process as well as the different functionalisation steps will be deeply investigated to enhance significantly both, the carbonisation yield, and the added value brought by the developed carbon fibres in the final applications targeted. The CARBOPREC consortium led by ARKEMA gathers 14 partners coming from 6 different European countries and Russia. It covers the whole value chain needed to develop innovative carbon fibres from renewable materials.

Enhanced Energy Efficiency and Comfort by Smart Light Transmittance Control (EELICON)

EELICON is concerned with an innovative switchable light transmittance technology developed previously in projects co-funded by the EU Framework Programmes. The core of this development are mechanically flexible and light-weight electrochromic (EC) film devices based on a conductive polymer nanocomposite technology with a unique property profile far beyond the current state-of-the art, opening the possibility to retrofit existing windows with a electrically dimmable plastic film. According to life cycle assessment studies, considerable energy savings may result when such films are included in appliance doors, automotive sunroofs, and architectural glazing, and the comfort is significantly enhanced. The development has been driven to the pilot-line production stage, however, the decisive step from research to innovation could not yet be accomplished for a number of technical and economic reasons. To overcome this gap, EELICON will tackle existing drawbacks by removing equipment limitations, automating processes, and establishing a high-throughput prototype production for a cost-effective high performance EC film technology in Europe. The ambitious goal will be approached by joining efforts of European and overseas players to integrate nanotechnology, materials, and production know-how, i.e., specific expertise of European SMEs. Relevant IP is available for exploitation. The project comprises a pilot-line, a validation, and a prototyping phase (incl. business planning) and fully complies with the objectives of NMP Activity 4.4 - Integration and call NMP.2013.4.0-3 - From research to innovation: Previously obtained research results are used by industry, the European paradox is relieved, valley of death is overcome by following three pillars of development eventually resulting in creation of new businesses in Europe. The project is characterised by strong industrial/SME participation. 8 out of 13 partners are industrials, 6 of which being SMEs with leading roles.

Entwicklung eines integralen Ansatzes basierend auf validierten und standardisierten Methoden zur Unterstützung der Anwendung der Empfehlung der Europäischen Kommission für eine Definition von Nanomaterialien (NanoDefine)

Im EU-geförderten Verbund-Projekt Development of an integrated approach based on validated and standardized methods to support the implementation of the EC recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (NanoDefine) mit 29 Partnern aus 11 Staaten werden Methoden zur verlässlichen Identifizierung, Charakterisierung und Quantifizierung von Nanomaterialien gemäß der EU-Empfehlung von 2011 erschlossen und validiert. Dabei wird die Frage beantwortet, ob ein vorliegendes Material als Nanomaterial eingestuft wird. Basierend auf Methodenevaluation und Ringversuchen werden Instrumente und standardisierte Arbeitsweisen zur Bestimmung der Partikelgrößen im Bereich von 1-100 nm mit unterschiedlichen Formen, Beschichtungen und der größtmöglichen chemischen Zusammensetzung in variablen Matrizen und Produkten entwickelt. Fallstudien zur breiten Anwendungsmöglichkeit, insbesondere in der Lebensmittel- und Kosmetiksektoren, werden durchgeführt. NanoDefine wirkt dabei mit Institutionen der internationalen Standardisierung wie CEN, ISO und OECD zusammen.

CAScade deoxygenation process using tailored nanoCATalysts for the production of BiofuELs from lignocellullosic biomass (CASCATBEL)

The CASCATBEL-project (CASCATBEL: CAScade deoxygenation process using tailored nanoCATalysts for the production of BiofuELs from lignocellullosic biomass) aims to design, optimize and scale-up a novel multi-step process for the production of second-generation liquid biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass in a cost-efficient way through the use of next-generation high surface area tailored nano-catalysts. Detailed description: Within the CASCATBEL-project a multi-step process for the production of second-generation biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass in a cost-efficient way will be developed through the use of tailored nano-structured catalysts. The proposed process is based on the cascade combination of three catalytic transformations: catalytic pyrolysis, intermediate deoxygenation and hydro-deoxygenation. The sequential coupling of catalytic steps will be an essential factor for achieving a progressive and controlled biomass deoxygenation, which is expected to lead to liquid biofuels with a chemical composition and properties similar to those of oil-derived fuels. According to this strategy, the best nano-catalytic system in each step will be selected to deal with the remarkable chemical complexity of lignocellulose pyrolysis products, as well as to optimize the bio-oil yield and properties. Since hydro-deoxygenation (HDO) is outlined in this scheme as the ultimate deoxygenation treatment, the overall hydrogen consumption should be strongly minimized, resulting in a significant reduction of the process costs. The use of nano-structured catalysts will be the key tool for obtaining in each chemical step of the cascade process, the optimum deoxygenation degree, as well as high efficiency, in terms both of matter and energy, minimizing at the same time the possible environmental impacts. The project will involve experiments at laboratory, bench and pilot plant scales, as well as a viability study of its possible commercial application. Thereby, the integrated process will be assessed according to technical, economic, social, safety, toxicological and environmental criteria. Focus IUE: IUE is involved in feedstock selection and characterization for the project. The main objective is to estimate current and future availability of lignocellulosic biomass in the EU. In addition IUE participates in an overall process assessment of the project. This is based on technical, economic, social, environmental and toxicological criteria that will be applied along the project to assess the different options being considered. These tasks will be critical for selecting the most convenient intermediate deoxygenation treatment, the optimum catalysts and the optimum operating conditions. Furthermore, a process design will be generated and a feasibility study will be conducted at commercial scale.

European development of Superconducting Tapes: integrating novel materials and architectures into cost effective processes for power applications and magnets (EUROTAPES)

High current coated conductors (CC s) have high potential for developing electrical power applications and very high field magnets. The key issues for market success are low cost robust processes, high performance and a reliable manufacturing methodology of long length conductors. In recent years EU researchers and companies have made substantial progress towards these goals, based on vacuum (PLD) and chemical deposition (CSD) methods, towards nanostructuring of films. This provides a unique opportunity for Europe to integrate these advances in high performance conductors. The EUROTAPES project will address two broad objectives: 1/ the integration of the latest developments into simple conductor architectures for low and medium cost applications and to deliver +500m tapes. Defining of quality control tools and protocols to enhance the processing throughput and yield to achieve a pre-commercial cost target of 100 Euro/kAm. 2/ Use of advanced methodologies to enhance performance (larger thickness and Ic, enhanced pinning for high fields, reduction of ac losses, increased mechanical strength). Demonstration of high critical currents (Ic greater than 400A/cm-w, at 77K and self-field and Ic greater than 1000A/cm-w at 5K and 15T) and pinning forces (Fp greater than 100GN/m3 at 60 K). The CSD and PLD technologies will be combined to achieve optimized tape architectures, nanostructures and processes to address a variety of HTS applications at self-field, high and ultrahigh magnetic fields. Up to month 36, 3 types of conductors will be developed (RABiT, ABAD and round wire); at Mid Term 2 will be chosen for demonstration during the final 18 months.

Nanotechnology based intelligent multi-SENsor System with selective pre-concentration for Indoor air quality control (SENSIndoor)

SENSIndoor aims at the development of novel nanotechnology based intelligent sensor systems for selective monitoring of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) for demand controlled ventilation in indoor environments. Greatly reduced energy consumption without adverse health effects caused by the Sick Building Syndrome requires optimized ventilation schemes adapted to specific application scenarios like offices, hospitals, schools, nurseries or private homes. - SENSIndoor will measure the quality of indoor air. - SENSIndoor will develop smart, energy efficient ventilation systems. - SENSIndoor will bring forth demand controlled ventilation - the key for energy efficient buildings. - SENSIndoor will develop novel nanotechnology-based microsensor systems for room specific ventilation.

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