Malvern Instruments Specialist Presents Session at Nanomaterials for Industry, April 6 - 9

Ciaran Murphy, Head of Product Management at Malvern Instruments, will present ‘Nanomaterials Characterization Challenges’, discussing the high resolution analytical techniques available to assess the impact of nanomaterials when released into the environment. The presentation on 9 April 2014 will form part of Nanomaterials in Medicine and the Environment session at the Nanomaterials for Industry conference, from April 6 – 9, in San Diego, California. The conference aims to provide insight for scientists, engineers and business leaders on the rapidly expanding technology and applications of nanomaterials. Click on the company website link below for further information.

In his conference presentation Ciaran Murphy will discuss how the current EU definition of nanomaterials is driving the need for higher resolution measurement capabilities. He will review some of the latest development activity using light scattering techniques and separations devices aimed at addressing the requirements for number-based (quantitative) measurement on nanomaterials. The work described focuses on the characterization of metallic nanoparticles (silver, gold) and how separation devices such as FFF and Fluidics can be combined with detectors to offer an improvement in the resolution currently available and in line with the demands of the EU nanomaterials definition.

Assessment of nanoparticles’ potential toxicity

Various nanoparticle parameters are of importance when assessing the potential toxicological impact of nanoparticles in the environment. Malvern’s analytical solutions for nanoscale characterization encompass an expanding range of different technologies. Used individually or in combination these provide access to many different parameters to suit both the assessment of nanoparticles’ potential toxicity and a wide variety of measurement applications.


Instrument techniques

Zetasizer Nano instruments use light scattering techniques to measure intensity weighted particle size, zeta potential, protein charge and molecular weight. NanoSight Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (NTA) detects and visualizes populations of nanoparticles, determining concentration and measuring the size of each particle from direct observations of diffusion. Archimedes employs the technique of resonant mass measurement to provide particle counting capability, as well as high resolution size determination on small quantities of sample.