Case Study The Lifecycle of Conductive Plastics Based on Carbon Nanotubes - Safety of Nanomaterials along Their Lifecycle - page 397

18 Case Study

The Lifecycle of Conductive
Plastics Based on
Carbon Nanotubes

Richard Canady and Thomas A.J. Kuhlbusch

CONTENTS
18.1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 399
18.2 Release of CNTs during the Lifecycle ........................................................400
18.3 Environmental Behavior of CNTs .............................................................. 403
18.4 Hazard and Risk Potentials of Pure CNTs ..................................................409
18.5 Conclusions and Recommendations ........................................................... 410
Acknowledgment ................................................................................................... 412
References .............................................................................................................. 412

18.1 INTRODUCTION
Conductive plastics using nanometer-scale fillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs),
graphene, and carbon black are being used as a light-weight replacement for metals
in many applications, as well as in novel materials that extend or create functional-
ity in many others (De Volder et al. 2013; Future Markets 2012; Han and Fina 2011;
Kingston et al. 2014; Ma and Zhang 2014; Sahoo et al. 2010; Sun et al. 2013). For
example, conductive plastics are being used in antistatic plastic films and trays to
provide low-cost, secure packaging for computer chips and electronic components,
spark-resistant fuel lines in automotive and aerospace applications, lightning strike
protection coatings for aerospace, and electromagnetic interference shielding. The
possibilities and benefits are tremendous and therefore identification of safe develop-
ment pathways is critical for these uses.
For these reasons, leading experts shared data, knowledge, and participated in
reviews of materials used in commerce, lifecycle release scenarios, methods to mea-
sure nanomaterial release, and studies of the released materials for CNT-polymer
composites as part of the multistakeholder and international NanoRelease project
(Canady et al. 2013; Kingston et al. 2014; NanoRelease Consumer Products 2014;
Nowack et al. 2013). Projects such as NanoRelease and nanoGEM worked on meth-
ods to measure the release of nanomaterials and characterize released nanomaterials

399