Treball

Re.: Nano JWG1 N091

ISO/TC229 JWG1: Nomenclature and Terminology
Task Group on Nomenclature Model for Nanomaterials

A Survey Regarding Parameters for a Nanomaterial Nomenclature System

Atthe ISO/TC229 Plenary Meeting held in Bordeaux, France (May 2008), there was agreement to form a Nomenclature Model for Nanomaterials Task Group which would report to Joint Working Group 1 (Terminologyand Nomenclature). The mandate of this group is to foster discussion on a naming system for nanomaterials, identify interested stakeholders and their needs, evaluate existing nomenclature systems,and to recommend approaches for naming nanomaterials.

What Are Nanomaterials?
Nanomaterials refers to a term under consideration by ISO which would include both nano-objects and nano-structuredmaterials. The term “nano-object” has been formally adopted under ISO/TS 27687 as meaning “materials with one, two, or three external dimensions on the nanoscale” (approximately 1-100nm); nanomaterialsfalling under the term nano-objects will be the initial focus of nomenclature efforts. Examples of materials that fall within the ISO definition of nano-object include materials commonly referred toas nanoparticles, nanotubes, nanorods, etc.

What is Nomenclature?
Nomenclature is a structured naming system that can allocate unique names to unique entities, which allows as yet undiscoveredentities to be similarly named, and which ideally allows the nature of all such entities to be determined from their names.

Currently, chemical nomenclature is being used to name and distinguishnano-objects in regulatory, academic and industrial settings. However, chemical nomenclature is typically defined by molecular composition and this presents limitations with respect to how chemicalnomenclature systems can describe nano-objects. In contrast, the mineralogy nomenclature system involves the construction of a name from parameters which effectively communicate compositional and...