Researchers Develop Novel Procedure for Obtaining Natural Nanopigments
ALICANTE, Spain — The University of Alicante Research Group in Vision and Color has developed a novel procedure for obtaining natural hybrid nanopigments able to optimize the optical, thermal and mechanical properties of the composite materials they are applied to. These new nanopigments allow full control of properties such as the amount of dye adsorbed, the degradation temperature of the dye or final composite material, flexural strength, resistance to UV degradation, and transparency or color strength, among others.
To that end, the experts employ nanoclays that are completely natural, harmless to humans, and obtained from minerals, such as montmorillonite, for cosmetics, or hydrotalcite, employed in drugs as a stomach acid scavenger. “Depending on the property of the material to be enhanced, the most suitable nanoclays and additives are selected for synthesis, as well as the order in which they are added,” UA researchers Bàrbara Micó and Francisco M. Martínez-Verdú explained.