Process Analytical Technologies for Industrial Nanoparticle Production (NanoPAT)

Description

Nano-scaled materials are abundant in different stages of industrial manufacturing. Physical and chemical properties of these materials are strongly dependent on their size. Characterisation of mean size, size distribution, and shape of nano-scaled particles is very critical for the quality and efficiency of manufacturing processes. Yet, conventional characterisation technologies still show manifold shortcomings which represent a major innovation obstacle for manufacturers of nanoparticles.

The NanoPAT consortium aims at closing this gap by the demonstration of 3 novel, real-time nanocharacterisation Process Analytical Technologies (PAT), namely Photon Density Wave spectroscopy (PDW) - ZHAW involvement - OptoFluidic force induction (OF2i) and Turbidity spectrometry (TUS) including real-time data handling for digital process monitoring and product quality control. Those will be validated in 5 different industrial ceramic, polymer and mineral nanoparticles (zeolites in case of ZHAW) manufacturing and converting environments. This implies that innovating PATs will be paired with new data-analytical technologies in order to provide, for the frst time, a real-time analysis for manufacturing processes of particles in the nanometer scale with sub minute temporal resolution.

The NanoPAT consortium consists of 15 members, representing instrumentdevelopers, process data and modelling experts, academic process researchers, industrial processing experts, as well as innovation and dissemination specialists. The consortium profits from the broad involvement of its members in EU networks and ongoing H2020 projects. NanoPAT will intensively contribute to enhancing the innovation capacity of the European nanotechnology sector. As a result, the NanoPAT real-time nano-characterisation technologies will have reached TRL 6, promising valuable improvements in terms of quality, productivity and sustainability for the process industries in the EU and beyond.

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