JRC scientists contributed to an intra-laboratory study comparing the outcome of analytical results using ultracentrifugation for the identification of nanomaterials. This is important for the registration or authorisation process related to the nanoparticle content of various chemicals, cosmetic or food products.
Judging whether a material is a nanomaterial for regulatory purposes in Europe is based on measuring the relative number of particles above and below a 100 nm threshold.
Making such measurements is technically very challenging with only a few instrumental methods showing real potential.
Amongst these, centrifugal methods (including analytical ultracentrifugation, AUC) show excellent performance not only in the trueness of sizing of quality control samples but also in the correct classification of representative test materials.
JRC scientists in collaboration with industrial experts (BASF, Ludwigshafen, Germany) and a prominent AUC freeware developer from the National Institutes of Health (NIH, Bethesda, USA) have recently shared their results on the use of AUC variable speed ramps for particle size distribution analysis and nanomaterial classification.
The work focused on the validation of a protocol for analytical ultracentrifugation with fixed and ramped speed demonstrating very promising results. Among the samples analysed were wide size distribution powder materials which mimic real life challenges in particle size characterisation of industrially produced materials.
The method was carried out in two laboratories (JRC and BASF) and showed excellent conformance.
Read more in: Mehn et al., Identification of nanomaterials: A validation report of two laboratories using analytical ultracentrifugation with fixed and ramped speed options, NanoImpact 10 (2018) 87–96.
Related Content
Details
- Publication date
- 15 June 2018