Advanced screening method using volume-specific surface area (VSSA) for nanomaterial classification of powders
- The EU recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU) should allow the identification of a particulate nanomaterial based on the number-based metric criterion according to which at least 50% of the constituent particles have the smallest dimension between 1 and 100 nm. Within the European Project NanoDefine (www.nanodefine.eu) a two-tier approach has been developed, whereby firstly a screening method is applied for the rough classification as a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial, and for borderline cases a confirmatory method (imaging methods or field flow fractionation) must be considered.
One of the measurement methods well suited to particulate powder is the determination of volume-specific surface area (VSSA) by means of gas adsorption as well as skeletal density. The value of 60 m2/cm3 corresponding to spherical, monodisperse particles with a diameter of 100 nm constitutes the threshold for decisioning if the material is a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial. TheThe EU recommendation for a definition of nanomaterial (2011/696/EU) should allow the identification of a particulate nanomaterial based on the number-based metric criterion according to which at least 50% of the constituent particles have the smallest dimension between 1 and 100 nm. Within the European Project NanoDefine (www.nanodefine.eu) a two-tier approach has been developed, whereby firstly a screening method is applied for the rough classification as a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial, and for borderline cases a confirmatory method (imaging methods or field flow fractionation) must be considered.
One of the measurement methods well suited to particulate powder is the determination of volume-specific surface area (VSSA) by means of gas adsorption as well as skeletal density. The value of 60 m2/cm3 corresponding to spherical, monodisperse particles with a diameter of 100 nm constitutes the threshold for decisioning if the material is a nanomaterial or non-nanomaterial. The correct identification of a nanomaterial by VSSA method (positive test) is accepted by the EU recommendation.
However, the application of the VSSA method is associated also by some limitations. The threshold of 60 m2/cm3 is dependent on the particle shape. For particles containing micro-pores or having a microporous coating, false positive results will be produced.
Furthermore, broad particle size distributions – as typically for ceramic materials – as well as multi-modal size distributions make necessary to adjust the threshold.
Based on examples of commercially available ceramic powders, the applicability of the VSSA approach will be tested (in relation with SEM and TEM measurements) in order to expand the actual knowledge and
improve the method.…