Research and Development
Naneum is a unique company comprising highly skilled R&D and manufacturing resources dedicated to design, develop and manufacture state-of-the-art instrumentation for airborne particle characterisation. Our novel products enable number, size, surface and chemical composition of aerosol particles to be quantified in the entire size range from 1 nm to 30,000 nm. Most of our products are portable and designed to be used in various environments including in field and at working places.
Modelling and concept design
Naneum modelling resources include product concept design, modelling airborne particle dynamics, molecular modelling based upon finite element numerical multi-physics software
Comsol containing coupled:
• Fluid dynamics (see Figure 1);
• Mass transfer;
• Heat transfer; and
• Electromagnetic modules (Figure 2).
Figure 1. An illustration of the 3-D air flow in a rectangular DMA (air velocity is colour-coded, in m/s).
Figure 2. An illustration of the charged particle trajectories in a rectangular DMA at the outlet of the monodisperse particles (air velocity is colour-coded, in m/s). The sheath flow direction is from left to right.
Naneum team designed and modelled a number of products, e.g.:
• Nano-IDTM NanoParticle Spectrometer, Model NPS500;
• Nano-ID Particle Mobility Classifier, Model PMC500;
• Nano-ID Select Wide Range Aerosol Sampler;
• Unipolar Corona Charger, Model C2000;
• Chromium Oxide Nanoparticle Generator, model MG100.
Test and Calibration
Testing products is an important phase of instrument design and development. Naneum uses an array of versatile nanoparticle generators including:
• Chromium Oxide Nanoparticle Generator (mean diameter from 3 to 100 nm);
• Zn and ZnO generators (mean diameter 5 to 200 nm);
• NaCl, sucrose and other materials generators (mean diameter 10 to 300 nm);
• Semi-volatile organic compounds generators (mean diameter 20 to 700 nm); and
• PSL standard size particle generator (mean diameter 50 to 5,000 nm).
Monodisperse aerosols are obtained from polidicperse aerosols with Nano-ID Particle Mobility Classifier, Model PMC500. This produces particles with well-defined sizes and concentrations. Multiple charges that normally create different size satellites next to the main peak minimised by using the Unipolar Corona Charger, Model C2000.
All products are calibrated at Naneum laboratories and production sites using reference equipment supplied by leading European and USA manufacturers.
R&D projects
Naneum involved in various research and development projects, e.g.:
• Nanodevice EC funded international project focused on novel instrumentation for characterisation of engineered nanoparticles;
• PROCPECT funded by DEFRA/TSB UK as a part of OECD International project on engineered nanoparticle safety;
• Siliceram EC funded international project dedicated evaluation of the health risk associated with exposure of workers to airborne silica at various factories in the ceramic industry (completed);
• Nanex EC funded international project dedicated evaluation of the health risk associated with exposure to nano-materials (completed);
• Lead substitutes for crystal glass industry EC funded international project dedicated health risk evaluation due to the lead exposure across European Crystal Glass Industry.
