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44 / March 2021 powderbulk.com the same structural integrity. More information on the process and experiments can be found in the report "Converting plastic waste pyrolysis ash into flash graphene" published in the journal Carbon. EU citizens surveyed about nanomaterials A recent study by the EU Obser- vatory for Nanomaterials (EUON) measured what citizens in Austria, Bulgaria, Finland, France, and Poland think about nanomateri- als and related potential risks to human health or the environment. The study found that despite the common use of manufactured nanomaterials, general awareness of nanomaterials' characteristics and properties is low. However, awareness has increased compared to past surveys. The study found that citizens were concerned with the poten- tial risks of both established and new nanotechnology applications. Respondents who were more aware of nanomaterials tended to be less concerned about potential risks. A majority of respondents (87 percent) said they would like to know if a product they're buying contains nanomaterials. The study's primary takeaway was that further work needs to be done to increase EU citizens' awareness of the benefits, risks, and usage of nanomaterials. The EUON also recommended that the survey be applied to the rest of the EU to research potential new labelling requirements to help educate consumers. The full study "Understanding public perception of nanomaterials and their safety in the EU" can be found at https:// euon.echa.europa.eu. Balaji Narasimhan, director of the Nanovaccine Institute. The institute doesn't expect production to start for another 18 months. The vaccine applies viral pro- teins to nanoparticles that are approximately 300 billionths of a meter in size and built from biodegradable polymers. The nanoparticles are then developed into a nasal spray. For more infor- mation, visit www.nanovaccine. iastate.edu. Lab turns plastic ash into graphene for improving compounds Rice University scientists have found a way to turn pyrolyzed plastic ash, a waste by-product of the plastic recycling process, into graphene flakes that can be added to other products. The new process uses a jolt of energy to turn the waste into graphene. "This work enhances the circu- lar economy for plastics," says Rice chemist James Tour. "So much plas- tic waste is subject to pyrolysis in an effort to convert it back to mono- mers and oils. The monomers are used in repolymerization to make new plastics, and the oils are used in a variety of other applications. But there's always a remaining 10 to 20 percent ash that's valueless and is generally sent to landfills." In follow-up experiments, the new graphene has been mixed with polyvinyl alcohol, a biocompatible polymer being tested for medi- cal applications, fuel cell polymer electrolyte membranes, and envi- ronmentally friendly packaging. The graphene increases the materi- al's resistance to water permeability. When added to Portland cement and concrete, the graphene increased the material's compres- sive strength, which means less concrete needs to be used to achieve