On March 29, 2011, we all went to the R&D centre of Kemira which is located in Espoo for our third group meeting with a company. The meeting was started with a presentation demonstrating company's brief description, their ongoing activies and future goals. Afterward, a lab tour was held to introduce us to some of their ongoing research works. In their pulp processing lab, they showed us that they had been trying to utilize micro and nano cellulose to intoduce an improved pulp and paper making process for quite some times. After the lab tour, an interview session was arranged where we talked to some of the experts and researchers working at that R&D centre. We asked them about several aspects regarding nanomaterials, their products those use nanomaterials, possible hazards to health and environment, existing legislations to control the exercise of nanomaterials in various products.
According to the meeting discussion, in present there is no standard test method which can define nanomaterials appropriately. Because, nanomaterial length ranges 1-100 nm at one or two dimensions and methods differ due to this diffrent size range. Nanomaterials of same kind of different sizes effect differently, so it is very difficult to put any particular legislation what would say which nanoscale size should be used to manufacture the products that satisfies safety issues. In this case, industries who use nanomaterials always need to pay focus on their products and since the safety of consumers is their primary responsibility, they must run researches on their products at continuous basis to find out whether they are at good or bad phases. They are bound do that for their own survival in this competitive market.
Again, several surveys conclude that, most of the hazards what might caused by the nanomaterials can occur in the manufacturing level rather in the final products. So, worker safety needs to be taken as a big concern.
The Kemira researchers urge that, there should be a certified or government authorized nanomaterial research centre where all the companies would send the research results of their manufactured products. That certified centre would evaluate those research results and based on that evaluation the companies would be able to commercialize their products.
The meeting came to an end after a lunch session in the company's cafeteria.
According to the meeting discussion, in present there is no standard test method which can define nanomaterials appropriately. Because, nanomaterial length ranges 1-100 nm at one or two dimensions and methods differ due to this diffrent size range. Nanomaterials of same kind of different sizes effect differently, so it is very difficult to put any particular legislation what would say which nanoscale size should be used to manufacture the products that satisfies safety issues. In this case, industries who use nanomaterials always need to pay focus on their products and since the safety of consumers is their primary responsibility, they must run researches on their products at continuous basis to find out whether they are at good or bad phases. They are bound do that for their own survival in this competitive market.
Again, several surveys conclude that, most of the hazards what might caused by the nanomaterials can occur in the manufacturing level rather in the final products. So, worker safety needs to be taken as a big concern.
The Kemira researchers urge that, there should be a certified or government authorized nanomaterial research centre where all the companies would send the research results of their manufactured products. That certified centre would evaluate those research results and based on that evaluation the companies would be able to commercialize their products.
The meeting came to an end after a lunch session in the company's cafeteria.
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