JRC Nanomaterials Repository

 

Vials of representative nanomaterials from the JRC Nanomaterials Repository

The JRC hosts a repository of representative industrial nanomaterials (NM) including nanomaterials studied in the OECD testing programme and large research projects. Each type of material in the repository has been sourced as a large single batch which has been sub-sampled into individual vials to produce the first collection of thoroughly characterised nanomaterials available for benchmarking in research and regulatory studies. Since its initiation the repository has distributed, free of cost, several thousand vials in support of the scientific community worldwide.

The JRC Nanomaterials Repository was initially set up to support the Testing Programme of the OECD Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) and thus hosts the principal nanomaterials been examined by the OECD. More recently other NMs have begun to be included thus widening the number and the types of materials hosted. This repository, by making available many samples from large individual batches of industrially relevant nanomaterials, is of key importance in promoting better reproducibility and reliability of nanomaterials safety testing.

The NM batches are supplied to the JRC by the NM producer/supplier. The batches are then sub-sampled under conditions respecting the principles of Good Laboratory Practice to obtain vials containing pre-defined quantities between 0.1 and 2.0 g nanomaterial. Since each set of representative NM vials originates from the same batch all the NM subsamples can be assumed to be identical and can therefore serve as international benchmarks. As NM batches become exhausted they are replaced with new ones.

To support international collaborative studies, reasonable numbers of subsamples may be distributed to researchers free of charge upon request. Such requests should be addressed to:

JRC-NANOMATERIALS-REPOSITORYec [dot] europa [dot] eu (JRC-NANOMATERIALS-REPOSITORY[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu)

The results of research projects were shared with the JRC and form the basis for reports presenting the physico-chemical characterisation data of the different NMs in the repository. Reports on cerium dioxide, multi-walled carbon nanotubes, silicon dioxide, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide have been published.

Here you can download the list of the NMs (with their main physical characteristics) available in the JRC Repository.

Related Content

List of the NMs (with their main physical characteristics)

More on nano reference materials

Reports:

Cerium Dioxide, NM-211, NM-212, NM-213. Characterisation and test item preparation

Multi-walled Carbon Nanotubes, NM-400, NM-401, NM-402, NM-403: Characterisation and Physico-Chemical Properties

Synthetic Amorphous Silicon Dioxide (NM-200, NM-201, NM-202, NM-203, NM-204): Characterisation and Physico-Chemical Properties

Titanium Dioxide, NM-100, NM-101, NM-102, NM-103, NM-104, NM-105: Characterisation and Physico-Chemical Properties

Zinc Oxide NM-110, NM-111, NM-112, NM-113: Characterisation and Test Item Preparation

The JRC Nanomaterials Repository - Safe handling of nanomaterials in the sub-sampling facility

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