Particle emission rates and conditions of use for the cutting of biobased composite polyurethane foam

Background Nanofillers improve polyurethane (PU) foam properties, such as thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, thermal and chemical stability, and reduce swelling. Mechanical reworking is used to shape nano-enabled PU foam material, which can result in emissions and inhalation exposure. Released fragments containing nanofillers can pose an increased risk, particularly due to inhalation exposure. This study investigates emissions from cutting bio-based composite PU panels containing functionalized silica, GasBeton ® , and Diatomite nanofillers, and assesses the conditions of use (CoU) for the cutting process. Methods Concentrations were measured at the cutting site (near field; NF) and far field (FF). Process-specific concentrations were calculated for the NF and FF concentrations, and mass balance was used to calculate the cutting process emissions. The CoU assessment was conducted using the emission component with the highest risk potential. The CoU was specified as the maximum cutting rate (m 2 /min) under reasonable worst-case (RWC) operational conditions where the NF concentration is