NIA Projects
SAFETY ASSESSMENT:
NANEX - Development of Exposure Scenarios for Manufactured Nanomaterials
CNT - Life-Cycle Analysis - Research into the likelihood and possible pathway of human exposure via inhalation arising throughout the lifecycle of a selection of commercially available articles containing carbon nanotubes
NanoImaging - Detection of Engineered Nanomaterials in the Environment: Available techniques and potential for applied techniques from nanomedicine and nanotoxicology
BENEFITS OF NANOTECHNOLOGIES:
COMMUNICATION:
INGENIOUS - Public Communication & Applied Ethics of Nanotechnology
COMMERCIALISATION:
Nano2Market - Best Practices for IPR and Technology Transfer in Nanotechnology Development
MARKET-SPECIFIC R&D:
NanoHex - Transforming
the Future of Heat Management
NanoHex
Transforming the Future of Heat Management
The world's largest collaborative project for the research and development of nanofluid coolants, NanoHex comprises of a consortium of 12 leading European companies and research centres. It has been funded by a €8.3 million Seventh Framework Programme grant, together with investment from the consortium themselves.
Using promising research results from previous work by the consortium, NanoHex aims to develop and optimise the processes for the production of high performance nanofluid coolants for use in industrial heat management. As well as an analytical model that will predict the nanofluid's thermal performance; something that has not yet been achieved.
Nanofluids (carrier liquids into which particles smaller than 100 nanometers have been dispersed) have shown significantly enhanced thermal properties in comparison to traditional cooling fluids. Two separate methods will be employed to produce the purpose designed nanofluids during the project. A single-stage process will employ wet chemical synthesis to form and disperse tailored nanoparticles within a carrier fluid and a two-stage batch process will add pre-produced nanoparticles to a carrier fluid.
Using both Risk and Life Cycle Assessments, NanoHex will also evaluate the health and safety of nanofluid coolants and their potential impact on the environment. These results will then form an important component in assessing the final products overall economic viability.
Ultimately, the project will develop two different demonstrators for the cooling of Data Centres and Power Electronic Components, in order to illustrate the viability of using such nanofluids to reduce energy consumption and operating costs, cut carbon emissions, extend product reliability and enable the development of more sustainable processes and products.
(Funded by European Commission, FP7)
