By Taha KhanReviewed by Frances BriggsApr 24 2026

Why Scaling Nanomaterials Is Fundamentally Different to Conventional Materials
Reproducibility and Material Consistency
Dispersion Control and Handling at Scale
Cost Considerations and Process Economics
Standardization, Safety, and Supply Chains
The Path Forward for Industrial Nanotechnology
References

With their unique electrical, mechanical, and chemical properties relating to their size, scaling nanomaterials presents many many practical challenges. How do we preserve those nanoscale properties, control varibaility, manage costs, and build production systems that can deliver  consistent material at commercial scale? 

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As their performance depends on nanoscale features, nanomaterials are highly sensitive to synthesis conditions, handling and post-processing. This article looks at the technical, manufacturing, economic, and standardization issues that shape industrial-scale nanomaterial production today. 

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Why Scaling Nanomaterials Is Fundamentally Different to Conventional Materials

Scaling conventional materials often means using bigger reactors, with longer process times or higher throughput. Nanomaterials are different because their defining properties depend on features such as particle size, morphology, surface chemistry, and defect density. Those features can easily change with local variations in temperature, mixing, precursor concentration, and residence time. Small shifts in process conditions can therefore change the final structure and the way the material performs.^{1, 2}

At laboratory scale, researchers can use slow reaction kinetics, close manual control, and purification steps that just aren't realistic in an industrial setting. 

A synthesis that depends on hours of dropwise addition, centrifugation, or dialysis may work for gram-scale production, but not for continuous ton-scale output. More often than not, this means nanomaterial production has to be redesigned rather than enlarged.^1,2

Nanomaterials also have very high surface-to-volume ratios, which makes them especially prone to agglomeration. When particles stick together, the nanoscale characteristics that give them their value can be lost, and the material begins to behave more like a conventional powder. Avoiding that requires tight control over surface chemistry and post-processing, which becomes harder as production volume increases.^1,2

Why Scaling Nanomaterials Is Fundamentally Different to Conventional Materials

Scaling conventional materials often means using bigger reactors, with longer process times or higher throughput. Nanomaterials are different because their defining properties depend on features such as particle size, morphology, surface chemistry, and defect density. Those features can easily change with local variations in temperature, mixing, precursor concentration, and residence time. Small shifts in process conditions can therefore change the final structure and the way the material performs.^{1, 2}

At laboratory scale, researchers can use slow reaction kinetics, close manual control, and purification steps that just aren't realistic in an industrial setting. 

A synthesis that depends on hours of dropwise addition, centrifugation, or dialysis may work for gram-scale production, but not for continuous ton-scale output. More often than not, this means nanomaterial production has to be redesigned rather than enlarged.^1,2

Nanomaterials also have very high surface-to-volume ratios, which makes them especially prone to agglomeration. When particles stick together, the nanoscale characteristics that give them their value can be lost, and the material begins to behave more like a conventional powder. Avoiding that requires tight control over surface chemistry and post-processing, which becomes harder as production volume increases.^1,2

Reproducibility and Material Consistency

In research, some variability between batches may be acceptable if the main effect can still be demonstrated. In industry, that level of variation is much harder to tolerate. Changes in particle size distribution, impurity levels, or surface chemistry can lead to unpredictable behavior in downstream manufacturing and final products.

Reproducibility is very important when nanomaterials are incorporated into products such as batteries, coatings, catalysts, or composites. Slight changes in nanoscale structure can alter electrical conductivity, chemical reactivity, or mechanical reinforcement.^{3, 4}

So, industrial producers invest in inline monitoring and statistical process control to ensure that nanoscale parameters are within defined limits. Techniques like dynamic light scattering, electron microscopy, and surface analysis, once limited to research laboratories, are now integrated into production quality assurance.^{1, 5}

Dispersion Control and Handling at Scale

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Nanoparticles and nanotubes naturally attract one another through van der Waals forces, which makes aggregation a persistent problem. In the lab, ultrasonic baths or high-shear mixers are often used to break apart clusters, but applying those methods evenly at industrial volume is much more difficult.

Industrial production depends on a combination of surface functionalization, dispersants, and carefully chosen solvents or matrices to maintain stability. In polymer composites, for example, nanomaterials must be distributed evenly through the polymer melt to provide consistent reinforcement. In coatings, they must remain suspended long enough for application without settling out.^{6, 7}

Handling problems also extend beyond liquid systems. Dry nanomaterial powders can form hard agglomerates during storage and transport, which creates additional processing problems later. As a result, scale-up also involves packaging, storage, transport, and end-use handling conditions that preserve dispersion throughout the supply chain - not only synthesis.^{6, 7}

Cost Considerations and Process Economics

Many nanomaterials are first developed using expensive precursors and energy-intensive processes. These approaches are generall accepted in research, but they can make industrial production economically unfeasible. As such, commercial scale-up depends on simplifying synthesis, improving yield, reducing waste, and lowering energy (and ecnomic) demand.

One way around this is the use of continuous-flow reactors in place of batch systems. They can offer tighter control over reaction conditions as well as better heat and mass transfer. Likewise, chemical vapor deposition methods used for nanostructured materials are being refined to reduce energy use and increase deposition rate. 

The economic case also depends on the application: In high-value uses such as catalysts or battery electrodes, a higher material cost may be justified by better performance. In larger-volume markets such as coatings or construction materials, the allowable cost is far lower.^{1, 8, 9}

Adoption also depends on compatibility with existing manufacturing lines. Most industries are reluctant to redesign whole production systems around a new material. Nanomaterials that can be introduced with limited disruption are therefore more likely to move into industrial use.

Standardization, Safety, and Supply Chains

Standardization is a very important aspect of the industrial adoption of nanomaterials.

It's essential because suppliers and customers need common ways to describe particle size, purity, surface chemistry, and performance. International standards bodies and industry groups are working to develop shared testing, measurement, and reporting practices that make these materials easier to specify and compare.¹⁰

Safety is just as, if not more, important. Nanoparticles can behave differently from bulk materials in areas such as inhalation risk, environmental exposure, and chemical reactivity. Industrial producers therefore need containment, handling, and waste-management procedures that meet regulatory requirements and protect workers throughout the production chain.^10,11

Reliable supply chains are another requirement. Customers need confidence that nanomaterials will be available in consistent quality and quantity over long periods. As a result, manufacturers must also invest in logistics, raw material sourcing, and process stability across the full supply network.

For a case study on how scaling is done, hear from First Graphene here.

The Path Forward for Industrial Nanotechnology

Scaling nanomaterials for industry is a multidisciplinary engineering problem. It brings together materials science, chemical engineering, manufacturing, metrology, and quality control.

Success requires redesigning laboratory methods, building processes that preserve nanoscale structure, controlling variation from batch to batch, and fitting new materials into real manufacturing environments.

With improved understanding of structure-property relationships and as standards become more established, more nanomaterials are likely to move from research labs into reliable industrial production.

References

1. Hachhach, M., et al. (2025). Towards sustainable scaling-up of nanomaterials fabrication: current situation, challenges, and future perspectives. DOI:10.3390/eng6070149, https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4117/6/7/149
2. Feng, Z., et al. (2025). From microchannels to high shear reactors: process intensification strategies for controlled nanomaterial synthesis. Nanoscale Horizons. DOI:10.1039/D5NH00336A, https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/nh/d5nh00336a
3. Mülhopt, S., et al. (2018). Characterization of nanoparticle batch-to-batch variability. Nanomaterials. DOI:10.3390/nano8050311, https://www.mdpi.com/2079-4991/8/5/311
4. Bolton, J., Gomez, S., Nardecchia, A., Torres, E. M., & Rodriguez-Turienzo, L. (2025). Upscaled, Industrial Inline Monitoring of Nanoparticle Synthesis by Turbidity Measurement and Transferable Chemometric Modeling. Applied Nano. DOI:10.3390/applnano6040025, https://www.mdpi.com/2673-3501/6/4/25
5. Jia, Z., Li, J., Gao, L., Yang, D., & Kanaev, A. (2023). Dynamic light scattering: a powerful tool for in situ nanoparticle sizing. Colloids and Interfaces. DOI:10.3390/colloids7010015, https://www.mdpi.com/2504-5377/7/1/15
6. Faure, B., Salazar-Alvarez, G., Ahniyaz, A., Villaluenga, I., Berriozabal, G., De Miguel, Y. R., & Bergström, L. (2013). Dispersion and surface functionalization of oxide nanoparticles for transparent photocatalytic and UV-protecting coatings and sunscreens. Science and technology of advanced materials. DOI:10.1088/1468-6996/14/2/023001, https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1468-6996/14/2/023001
7. Rahman, M. M., Khan, K. H., Parvez, M. M. H., Irizarry, N., & Uddin, M. N. (2025). Polymer nanocomposites with optimized nanoparticle dispersion and enhanced functionalities for industrial applications. Processes. DOI:10.3390/pr13040994, https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9717/13/4/994
8. Caramazana, P., Dunne, P., Gimeno-Fabra, M., McKechnie, J., & Lester, E. (2018). A review of the environmental impact of nanomaterial synthesis using continuous flow hydrothermal synthesis. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry. DOI:10.1016/j.cogsc.2018.06.016, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2452223618300675
9. Quílez-Bermejo, J., Morallón, E., Cazorla-Amorós, D., Celzard, A., & Fierro, V. (2025). Progress and perspectives in the electrochemical synthesis of carbon nanomaterials. Carbon. DOI:10.1016/j.carbon.2025.120151, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0008622325001512
10. Ono, A. (2023). A methodology for developing nanomaterial testing standards. SICE Journal of Control, Measurement, and System Integration. DOI:10.1080/18824889.2023.2261674, https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/18824889.2023.2261674
11. Ramos, D., & Almeida, L. (2022). Overview of standards related to the occupational risk and safety of nanotechnologies. Standards. DOI:10.3390/standards2010007, https://www.mdpi.com/2305-6703/2/1/7

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