Naanoscale Cerium Oxide has found application in a number of industries as: diesel fuel additives; as a polishing slurry in chemical mechanical planarization for Si wafers; precision polishing for optics; anti-reflective coatings; UV filters; in medical implants; electrolyte material for solid oxide fuel cells; and Nonvolatile memory. CeO2 is commercially available in a number of different size ranges below 100 nm.
The main market for nanostructured CeO2 is cleaning and polishing of silicon wafers, which are required by the electronics industry for ultra-modern chip systems and solar cells. Ceria nano abrasive powder has been shown to not only demonstrate tremendous advantages in the planarization process of most semiconductor materials but glassy materials employed in photonic applications as well.
Nanostructured cerium oxide is also used as an oxygen-storing diesel additive in vehicle exhaust catalysts, which is the second largest market after semiconductors. It oxidizes carbon monoxide and excess hydrocarbons into CO2 when there is a temporary lack of oxygen in the exhaust mixture. Cerium dioxide nanoparticles reduce the fuel consumption as well as the emission of soot particles of diesel engines. Due to its high oxygen ion conductivity at temperatures between 500 and 800 °C CeO2 nanomaterial is also under development as an electrolyte material for solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC). Nanostructured CeO2 is also an excellent UV absorber and is therefore used as an additive in lacquers and coatings for wood preservatives to enhance their UV stability.
Worldwide production of cerium oxide nanomaterials in 2011 was 7,500-10,000 tons. Major producers are Saint-Gobain, Evonik, Meliorium Technologies, Inframat Advanced Materials, HEFA Rare Earth Canada, Nanocerox, Umicore, Nanoscale Corp., Nanophase, Nyacol and Energenics.
