Nanomaterials have played a key role in the development of advanced materials with improved properties in many industries. As part of these measures, biomaterials are a key element in successfully achieving the European Union’s (EU) goal of creating a climate-neutral community by 2050. This is because they can make economies more resilient and reduce their dependence on increasingly expensive and limited fossil and mineral resources, while also working to mitigate the effects of climate change.
The advantage of nanomaterials for advancing the development of new materials is based on the fact that, due to their high specific surface area and aspect ratio, they provide a high degree of interaction with the materials in which they are incorporated and are able to impart new properties to them. required in many sectors such as mechanical, thermal, rheological, optical, barrier and active.
Although the performance of final products can be improved using nanomaterials compared to their micrometer-sized equivalents, as a result of this greater reactivity resulting from their high aspect ratio, they may also have potentially more negative impacts on human health and the environment. which need to be monitored. Additionally, the introduction of new products containing this type of additive into the market has been met with some resistance due to their higher cost and lack of life cycle analysis (LCA) data.
To demystify and promote the acceptance of this type of material by industry and end users, the BIONANOPOLYS project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 program, seeks to enhance the circularity of bio-based nanomaterials using an approach fully aligned with sustainable development. using biomass from lignocellulosic waste to avoid resource loss and diverting it from landfills to develop innovative bionanocomposites.
In the first half of the project, the participating technology centers, including ITENE, focused on improving the technologies and processes implemented in many pilot plants. The goal of these improvements was to optimize methods for synthesizing and modifying different types of nanomaterials to achieve more robust processes, as well as increasing process throughput and production capacity, and improving the degree of dispersion of nanomaterials. biopolymer matrices and cellulose substrates so that their properties can be compared with those achieved using materials from non-renewable sources. The safety of nanomaterials developed as part of the project, which are used in demonstrators for critical applications such as cosmetics or food packaging, was also assessed. Thus, the developed nanomaterials consist of high value-added compounds of renewable origin, such as cellulose nanofibers and nanocrystals, nanolignin, metal nanoparticles, block copolymers, nanocapsules with antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and modified nanoclays.
Currently, some of the most promising demonstrators are cosmetic bottles made from biodegradable biopolymers reinforced with nanoclay to improve oxygen and water vapor barrier properties by 30-40% compared to the base biopolymer material (Figure 1). ).
Another demonstrator is a two-layer food film consisting of polymers of renewable origin, where a minority layer contains a modified clay that can improve its barrier properties by up to 70%, reduce its thickness by up to 5% of the overall structure, and also allows it to retain the properties of the original two-layer film ( Fig. 2).
Finally, another demonstrator currently being developed in the textile sector is a cleaning wipe made from biodegradable materials in which one of the biopolymers has been modified by reactive extrusion to impart antimicrobial properties (Figure 3).
From a safety perspective, use case demonstrators related to food or cosmetic packaging, among others, are also assessed to ensure they do not pose a health risk.
To align the development of advanced materials with the strategic objectives of the European Commission, policies and recommendations exist to promote the adoption and application of methodologies and approaches that enable the development of safer and more sustainable materials.
Detail of the cytotoxicity test, one of the studies characterizing the toxicological profile of nanomaterials carried out at the Itene Technology Center.
In this context, and in order to guide the European chemical industry towards sustainable development in line with SSbD objectives, at ITENE we are actively working on various work streams aimed at developing and implementing SSbD strategies that mitigate potential adverse impacts on humans and environment. health.
The SbD4Nano project, funded by the EU under the Horizon 2020 program, therefore aims to address current challenges related to the development of nanomaterials, NEPs and ENMs, taking into account the application and implementation of the SSbD macro. To this end, we have worked to develop and validate new approaches and tools that allow us to ensure the safety of processes and products, taking into account the entire life cycle of nanomaterials and nanoproducts, from the design of the material itself to the implementation of process improvements to better control risks, with a particular focus on such industrial sectors such as coatings, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and medical technologies, as well as structural and functional nanomaterials.
The framework has been validated in a variety of use cases and work is currently underway to implement it at scale to help and guide industry, regulators and civil society in developing well-balanced security, functionality and cost strategies. The goal of the system is to reduce potential risks associated with nanomaterials and nanotechnology products at an early stage of the development process.
For its part, the DIAGONAL project, funded by the Horizon 2020 program, aims to provide new methodologies to guarantee long-term nanosafety throughout the entire life cycle of MCNM and HARN. The project is based on the implementation of SSbD strategies and methodologies in seven industrial cases that test the redesign of nanomaterials and the application of strategies (functionalization or encapsulation) aimed at reducing toxicity. To this end, DIAGONAL analyzed the physicochemical properties, toxicology, behavior and environmental impact of materials, as well as human safety throughout their life cycle, and developed multi-scale modeling tools capable of predicting and characterizing nano-specific properties.
As a final outcome of the testing of the strategies implemented in these seven case studies representing the nanomaterials industry, a SSbD best practice guide will be produced to support the industry in developing safer nanomaterials.
Institute of Technology for Packaging, Transport and Logistics – Itene
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