Project: New nanomaterials and advanced sole design criteria for the mass manufacturing of anti-slip professional footwear
Slips, trips and falls are the single most common cause of major injuries at work._x000D__x000D_Several factors are involved in the risk of falling due to slips, being the friction characteristics of footwear the most important. Most accidents happen when there is an unexpected or unnoticed change of surface conditions (e.g. dry to contaminated surface) and a user does not adapt his/her activity pattern. The risk of falling increases dramatically when there are significant differences among dynamic friction coefficient obtained on dry environments (0.5-1.5) compared to unfavourable conditions (e.g. presence of oils and soaps) which are much lower (0.01-0.2). Please, see figure 1 in the annex._x000D__x000D_With the existing materials and design of soles, the professional footwear has problems in order to fulfill the current standards for non-slip safety, even when the requirements are below real safety necessities and the tests do not cover real conditions. In this respect, there is a biomechanical inadequacy of current footwear to work conditions, as the falling mechanism due to slipping is COly focused (by standards) on simple gait pattern instead of movements, actions and actual working environments. Statistics show that slips and falls are the most common accident and its frequency reCOs constant along recent years, highlighting that current standards are not enough restrictive to prevent the slips and falls under unfavourable conditions at work._x000D_Furthermore, footwear and sole manufacturers have exhausted current common materials (e.g. Rubbers, PUs, TPUs or PVCs) and geometries’ possibilities, and are unable to significantly improve their friction, not being able to help reduce the risk of slips and falls at work._x000D__x000D_Nevertheless, nanomaterials sciences have opened a door to find an adequate solution, as nano-structured surfaces have demonstrated to provide very particular tribological properties (wear, lubrication and friction). Moreover, there exist several nanoparticles which can exhibit excellent adherence and contaminant repellence properties due to their hydrophobicity or lipophobicity characteristics._x000D__x000D_The CO objective of Nanofriction Project is, therefore, to develop novel technology for professional footwear, through the combination of nanoparticles (as fillers in the most suitable sole’s areas on existing materials) to improve repellence properties, in combination with an adequate design criteria of the sole’s geometry, considering more specific movements made in the workplace, in order to provide a stable and constant friction to the user, thus avoiding slips and falls, and assuring stability in all the possible working conditions (dry, water and oil)._x000D__x000D_This approach will mean a real breakthrough in the professional footwear sector, which will allow the consortium members to gain competitive advantage in their complementary markets (ANALCO – Occupational footwear; BASE (BASE PROTECTION) – Protective/safety footwear; being AVANZARE the nanotechnology provider)._x000D__x000D_In order to achieve the overall objective, this project has the following CO purposes:_x000D__x000D_- Develop a new material using multiple nanoparticles to be dispersed into a polymeric matrix of existing and widely used materials, and treatments perhaps segregated into different parts of the sole. This will be tailored to provide an adequate friction coefficient no matter the surface or the contaminant in order to reduce the slips and falls at work._x000D__x000D_- Research of the processes leading to slips in the workplace - a biomechanical analysis of the human–surface interactions that lead to slipping process will establish the slip and fall criteria during job activities (in different working sectors) under unfavourable conditions. The knowledge created in this phase will enable the design of the anti-slip sole footwear with the new nanocomposites._x000D__x000D_- Generation of new criteria for designing sole’s geometries. Design criteria for sole geometry will be addressed, indicating areas of the sole requiring grip, in which directions, for what kinds of activities and working environment. This will define the surface grip characteristics that will give optimal frictional behaviour for different working environments and a number of activity types._x000D__x000D_- Developing a cost-efficient methodology for adapting the traditional sole manufacturing process incorporating the new nanoparticles._x000D_
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Acronym
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NANOFRICTION
(Reference Number: 7926)
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Duration
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01/11/2013 - 31/12/2015
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Project Topic
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Nanofriction will develop novel technology for professional footwear, through the combination of nanoparticles and more advanced design criteria of the sole’s geometry in order to improve the frictional properties, thus preventing slips and falls under unfavourable conditions at work
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Network
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Eurostars
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Call
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Eurostars Cut-Off 9
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Project partner
