from the conferences organized by TANGER Ltd.
New nanomaterials are used in nearly every industrial area and provide many benefits. Nevertheless, with new properties of new nanomaterials come new potential risks. Social demands to ensure the safety of nanomaterials enters to forefront, taking into account risks, caused by nanomaterials production and use, and are connected with whole nanomaterial life cycle. Potential risks associated with the end-of-life of nanomaterials are an issue that needs to be addressed. Nanoparticles or transformed nanomaterials can be released during disposal methods, enter environment and should be monitored.Carbon based nanomaterials are interesting for incineration tests, because they might be eliminated totally. As the case study of nanoparticles (NPs) release potential during incineration, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and carbon black were tested. The primary objective of tests described in this study consisted in validating, whether NPs can be released in the gas phase during the combustion in static air and low-oxygen atmosphere. NPs (28 – 462 nm) were released from 875°C, resp. 925°C, to 1000°C for two types of MWCNTs. A comparison of nanoparticles size distribution and raw MWCNTs diameters indicates that fibres disintegrate during combustion. The highest NPs concentrations were around 30 – 70 nm in diameter. In nitrogen atmosphere thermogravimetric experiments showed mass decrease. There is a hypothesis that even very low-oxygen concentration leads to mass loss, probably due to oxidation of nanomaterials. SEM analysis of nanomaterials residue showed modified and variously deformed fibres with conical ends. We hypothesized that needle-like fibre shapes of CNT are more toxic than other carbon nanomaterials.
Keywords: Carbon nanotubes, Carbon black, Nanoobject release, Nanosafety© This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.