DEVICE · Taking in-situ controlled nanomaterials manufacturing to market

Applications of nanomaterials are based on concepts relying on the structural control of materials at the nanometre scale because at the nanometre scale properties denied to larger, bulk objects can be unlocked. However, technologies based on nanomaterials will only be successful if we are able to systematically control production processes and nanomaterials’ morphologies. Hence, in the last 20 years much effort was dedicated towards understanding nanomaterials’ formation and scaling-up production techniques from a laboratory to industrial scale. Yet, there are still many technical barriers preventing further progress in this area of research. These include the in-situ control of production processes employed for the generation of dedicated nanomaterials possessing tailored properties. We have followed a multidisciplinary approach of existing knowledge in nano-scale processing combined with state-of-the-art production techniques, and in-situ characterisation techniques, to create more efficient nanomaterials manufacturing techniques suitable for up-scaling. For this we have developed a prototype in-situ online control system which we have filed for a patent and aim to bring to market. With the ERC PoC we plan to carry out detailed analysis and develop a refined system suitable for an even wider range of industrial partners. Bringing such device together with an integrated approach will enable new applications of dedicated nanomaterials to be developed in the fields of energy saving and nano-composite materials in aerospace or medical applications.""