In-flight thermal treatment of soda-lime-silica glass powders for glass production by argon–oxygen induction thermal plasmas

In order to investigate the plasma–particle energy exchange dynamics and optimize the plasma discharge and particle parameters during in-flight thermal treatment of soda-lime-silica glass powders, a plasma–particle interaction model was developed. This model solved the conservation equations to predict the plasma temperature and flow fields, and then calculated the injected individual particle trajectories and temperature histories, and the particle source terms to take into account the plasma–particle interaction. It was noticed that particle injection significantly reduced the plasma temperature around the centerline of the torch and hence decreased the heat transfer to particles at higher carrier gas flow-rate and powder feed-rate. As a result the size and composition of quenched particles were affected significantly by the above factors. The simulated results were consistent with those of experiment, which provided valuable guidelines in optimizing the plasma discharge and particle parameters for the efficient thermal treatment of soda-lime-silica glass particles.     

The Factors Affecting the Particle Distributions Inside the Silane PCVD Reactor for Semiconductor Processing

The distributions of particles inside the silane plasma chemical vapor deposition (PCVD) reactor were theoretically investigated by analyzing the transport phenomena of particles for various plasma conditions. We included the effects of fluid convection, particle diffusion, and external forces (ion drag, electro static, and gravitational forces) onto the particles to analyze the movements of particles inside the plasma reactor. Initially, we assumed that the particles are uniformly distributed inside the plasma reactor and showed how these particles move and how they are distributed for various plasma conditions. The dominant force for the particle movement is the electrostatic force in the sheath region and the ion drag force in the bulk plasma region. Both the electrostatic and ion drag forces are towards the sheath boundaries and most of the particles are concentrated in the regions near the sheath boundaries by the balance of both forces, but the particle concentrations in the sheath region and in the bulk plasma region are almost 0. The particle concentrations at the down stream sheath boundary become higher than at the upstream sheath boundary by the effect of fluid convection. As the electric field strength increases, the particles are pushed more strongly towards the bulk plasma region and the peaks of particle concentrations are shifted more away from the electrodes. As the particle diameter increases from 0.1 mu m to 10 mu m, the relative importance of fluid convection on the particle movement becomes more significant than those of particle diffusion, ion drag force, and electrostatic force and the particle concentrations at the down stream sheath boundary increase, while those at the upstream sheath boundary decrease. It is found that the movements of negative ions as well as the positive ions are also important for determining the ion drag force onto the particles in silane PCVD.     

Modeling Entry of Micron-Sized and Submicron-Sized Particles into the Indoor Environment

A theoretical approach, based on particle dynamics, was used to examine the outdoor-to-indoor penetration coefficient ( P ) of fine particles inside thin rectangular cracks. Parallel-plate flow theory indicates that crack infiltration flow can be assumed laminar for long, thin rectangular cracks. Considering laminar crack flow, three particle penetration models were used to estimate P . They are the Licht model, the Fuchs model, and the Taulbee model. The first two models consider gravitational sedimentation as the particle deposition mechanism, while the third model considers particle deposition induced from both gravitational sedimentation and Brownian diffusion. Modeling results indicate that gravitational sedimentation governs particle deposition behavior for micron-sized particles, and that all three models can be used to model penetration for these particles. For submicron-sized particles, Brownian diffusion becomes the major deposition mechanism, and only the Taulbee model is suitable to model particle penetration. The Taulbee model was validated using published experimental results of other researchers. Model validation indicated that the Taulbee model satisfactorily estimates particle penetration for micron-sized and submicron-sized particles. Application of the three models to actual building penetration is discussed.     

Radio Frequency Thermal Plasma Treatment for Size Reduction and Spheroidization of Glass Powders Used in Ceramic Electronic Devices

Radio frequency (RF) thermal plasma treatment is studied for the size reduction and the spheroidization of coarse glass particles to change them into submicrometer-sized powders of spherical shape. Such ultra-fine spherical powders are the key ingredients of a sintering aid to achieve efficient package and high performance in ceramic electronic applications. The coarse glass powders injected into the high-temperature RF thermal plasma undergo rapid heating, melting, and evaporation, followed by quenching, and then condense to very fine spherical powders. In the thermal plasma treatment with high RF powers of 18–23 kW at a powder feeding rate of 3 g/min, the scanning electron microscopy images and the particle size distribution graphs obtained from the treated glass powders indicate that most glass powders with initial average diameters of around 2 μm are reformed into spherical ones with sizes of below 500 nm. It is also observed in a 4 MHz RF thermal plasma reactor that the maximum size of particles decreases down to 200 nm when the reactor is operated under conditions of reduced pressure, low powder feeding rate, and high RF power. The compositions of glass powders before and after the plasma treatment are compared by using the wet and the inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy analyses. Negligible composition changes appear within a range of <2 wt% during the RF thermal plasma process, which demonstrates the successful preparation of submicrometer-sized glass powders in spherical shape applicable to the advanced ceramic electronic devices.     

Spheroidization of Titanium Carbide Powders by Induction Thermal Plasma Processing

Highly spherical particles of titanium carbide (TiC) have been produced by in-flight heat processing of irregularly shaped TiC powders in an aerosol reactor under argon-hydrogen and argon-helium induction thermal plasma. The spherical powders obtained by the plasma treatment consist of unagglomerated and uniform particles with mean diameters between 25 and 28.5 μm, which is smaller than the original TiC particle mean diameters (29.5 μm) because of partial evaporation of the particles during the plasma treatment. The spheroidization ratio of the treated TiC powders increases with the increase of hydrogen flow rate in plasma gases and the reduction of powder feeding carrier gas flow rate. Under certain processing conditions, the TiC powders have been completely spheroidized. The morphology and structure of individual spherical particles were examined and their formation mechanism was discussed based on calculation of heat transfer kinetics of the particles in the thermal plasma.     

Drying of Solid Furl Particlbs in Hot Gases

ABSTRACT

Drying of solid fuel particles in hot gases ( 50–200c) is studied both theoretically and experimentally. The measurements are carried out by using a thermobalance reactor constructed for drying and pyrolysis studies of particles up to 30 mm by diameter. The model is based on the solution of the conservation equations for mass and energy. The drying is considered to consist of three successive periods: a short initial heating period, period of constant rate of drying and period of falling rate of drying. It is assumed that the particle moisture distribution is uniform during the constant rate of drying. Shrinking core model is assumed for the falling rate period. esides fuel particles, the model is applicable also for other solid particle drying processes. Model calculations are compared to measurements for wood chips. The model can predict the efFect of the main parameters reasonably well. These main parameters affecting the drying rate are: particle size, particle shape, initial particle moisture content, gas temperature and gas moisture content, emperature of the reactor walls and slip velocity. The irregular shape of practical fuel particles can approximately be simulated as one-dimensional case ( plate, cylinder, sphere) by using an equivalent volumc to surface area ratio.     

Particle nucleation rates in continuous emulsion polymerisation reactors

The design of a continuous, stirred emulsion polymerisation reactor requires a detailed characterisation of the particle nucleation rate. Here, consideration is given to systems which use micelle-forming surfactants and water-insoluble monomers. The surfactant micelles will be considered to participate in two competing rate processes; the nucleation of polymer particles and dissolution into the aqueous phase. When the reactor operates in a steady state it is possible to obtain a size distribution function for the particles. This distribution function is used in the development of a number of diffusion equations and conservation equations. By making various sets of assumptions concerning the nucleation process, these equations are then used to obtain expressions for the particle number. By comparing the different models with experimental results it can be seen that satisfactory predictions for the particle number can be obtained without assuming that the polymer particles are always saturated with surfactant. The models also show that the radical absorption processes are not controlled by diffusion in the aqueous phase. In some cases the particle number does not reach a steady state but oscillates with time. The nature of these oscillations is described by the solution of nonlinear differential equations. Boundary conditions for these equations depend on the reaction conditions.     

Diffusional Particle Loss Upstream of Isokinetic Sampling Inlets

Isokinetic sampling, in which a subsample is extracted from the center of laminar aerosol flow, is routinely used to collect representative particles for analysis. Isokinetic sampling minimizes wall effects, including particle loss due to Brownian diffusion to the tube wall. This particle diffusion is analogous to the heat transfer problem originally posed by Graetz in 1883. Analytical solutions to the Graetz problem have been applied to calculate particle loss averaged over the entire main flow. However, these solutions overestimate diffusional particle loss near the center of the main flow. In the present solution, confluent hypergeometric functions are used to solve analytically for particle concentration as a function of radius. The solution is integrated near the center of the main flow to determine particle loss for isokinetically sampled aerosols. Sampling efficiencies valid down to nanometer-sized particles are presented in terms of dimensionless parameters. Diffusional particle loss for isokinetically sampled aerosol can be 1.8 times less than that from the main flow aerosol. The present results can be used to design isokinetic sampling systems and to assess particle loss in these systems. For 5 nm diameter particles sampled isokinetically from a laminar flow tube (0.318 cm tube radius, 10 m length) into an ultrafine condensation particle counter, sampling efficiency is strongly affected by main flow Reynolds number, Re; sampling efficiency increases from 4.9%at Re=100 to 99%at Re=1500.     

Numerical simulation of in-flight particle oxidation during thermal spraying

Metal powders are widely used for thermal spray coating to improve wear, corrosion and temperature resistance of products. The high thermal profiles endured for sprayed particles give rise to oxidation on the surface of metal powders. Metallic oxides are brittle and undermine the performance of coated products. To understand the growth of oxide layers on in-flight metal powders, an oxidation model is implemented into the Lagrangian formula of particle tracking. The numerical simulation is achieved for a 3D combusting gas flow generated by a high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spray gun. The results are able to demonstrate the correlation between in-flight particle oxidation and operation parameters.     

Inspiratory Deposition Efficiency of Ultrafine Particles in a Human Airway Bifurcation Model

The inspiratory deposition efficiency of ultrafine particles in a physiologically realistic bronchial airway bifurcation model, approximating the airway generation 3-4 juncture, was computed for different particle sizes, ranging from 1 to 500 nm, under three different flow conditions, representing resting to heavy exercise breathing conditions. For the smallest particle sizes, say between 1 and 10 nm, molecular diffusion is the primary deposition mechanism, as indicated by the inverse relationship with flow rate, except for the highest flow rate where the additional effect of convective diffusion has to be considered as well. For the larger particle sizes, say above 20 nm, the independence from particle size and dependence on flow rate suggests that convective diffusion plays the major role for ultrafine particle deposition in bifurcations. A semiempirical equation for the inspiratory deposition efficiency, m (D, Q), as a function of diffusion coefficient D and flow rate Q, due to the combined effect of molecular and convective diffusion was derived by fitting the numerical data. The very existence of a mixed term demonstrates that molecular and convective diffusion are not statistically independent from each other.     

下行床反应器中惰性颗粒射入对结焦抑止和颗粒速度均匀化的影响

The coking observation and particle flow behaviour in both thermal plasma and cold plexiglas downers were investigated in a binary particle system formed by injecting coarse inert particles （carrying coke away and scouring wall） and fine coal powders into the downer reactor. The results demonstrate that this scheme is a rational selection to prevent coking on downer walls and improve particle velocity distribution along the radial direction. When injected coarse particles mixed with fine powders in downers, the fluctuation of local particle velocity in the radial direction becomes smaller and two peaks in the radial distribution of local particle velocity occur due to the improved dispersing character and flow structure, which are beneficial to the thermo-plasma coal cracking reaction and coking prevention.     

Direct synthesis of TiO2 nanoparticles by using the solid-state precursor TiH2 powder in a thermal plasma reactor

We attempt the direct synthesis of TiO₂ by using the solid state precursor TiH₂ powder with oxygen in a thermal plasma reactor. Nanocrystalline titanium dioxide powder has been synthesized by using thermal plasma synthesis in a non-transferred arc thermal plasma reactor. The thermal plasma-synthesized powder product consists of nano-sized particles of anatase and rutile phases of titanium dioxide. Particle compositions were observed on collecting powder from different positions of the reactor and varying the amount of flow rate of reactive gases (O₂). The characteristics of the powder such as particle size, size distribution and phases were analyzed using various techniques such as XRD, SEM, TEM, XPS, EDS and particle size analyzer. UV–visible reflection spectroscopy of the plasma-synthesized TiO₂ powders showed the absorbance in the visible region leading to effective photocatalytic activity, which is clearly confirmed from the XPS analysis. XPS analysis reveals the presence of –OH bonds on the surface of nanoparticles, which is the significant evidence of better quality of powders in comparison to other methods. Also, we have investigated the phase transformation phenomenon of anatase to rutile. At 1000 °C, complete transformation of the anatase to rutile occurs. Powders prepared in this procedure are white in colour and their diameter varies from 10 nm to 150 nm. Average particle size distributes in the range of 20–50 nm. The unique property about the plasma-synthesized powders is high resistance to heat treatment, with enhanced photocatalytic activity.     

Relationship between reaction and diffusion during ultrafine NiO reduction toward agglomeration fluidization

The relationship between reaction and diffusion during ultrafine NiO reduction by H₂ in a fluidized bed reactor were investigated. The result illuminates that the reduction reaction proceeding in the unreduced NiO powders is according to the nucleation model. A modified force balance model between cohesive and collision forces incorporating grain-boundary diffusion and reaction is proposed to predict the agglomeration behavior of ultrafine Ni during the reduction of NiO in a fluidized bed. The modified force balance model shows more precise predictions than the model without consideration of grain-boundary diffusion. Based on the model, it is found that the core of the two-step reduction is to decouple grain growth from reduction for achieving full conversion while retaining nanosized grain sizes.     

撞击流强化混合特性及用于制备超细粉体研究进展

撞击流以其强化微观混合的优异特性在化学反应、结晶、制备超细粉体等方面有广泛应用。本文在撞击流技术强化混合特性的基础上对近年来几种撞击流反应器制备超细粉体研究进行了综述。简述了流体流动、受限空间、喷嘴形式及结构、外部激励等因素对浸没循环撞击流反应器、受限撞击流反应器、T形撞击流反应器、微小型撞击流反应器、撞击流-旋转填料床反应器混合性能的影响。从结晶、微观混合时间等角度分析了撞击流微观混合特性对化学反应及制备超细粉体的影响。并与常规反应器及方法对比,从超细粉体的粒度大小、形貌、表面、能量、分散性、电性能及稳定性等方面进行评估。提出一种双层对置撞击流反应器用于工业上大规模制取超细粉体的中试研究,并展望了撞击流技术用于制备超细粉体的前景。     

Modeling of the monomer role and the coalescence limitation in primary particle growth

The general dynamic equation (GDE) has been numerically solved to simulate the growth of ultrafine particles (UFPs) in a tubular aerosol reactor, approximating the particle size distribution by a lognormal function. The GDE includes all the terms describing diffusion, thermophoresis, nucleation, condensation and coagulation. We have also considered the efficiency of liquid-like coagulation to primary particles. The data calculated from our model were compared with those from the previous model and also with some experimental results from a TiO₂ UFP generator. The condensation term, which we split from a single coagulation term in the previous model, well described the monomer contribution to the particle growth. Introduction of one adjustable parameter, the efficiency of coagulation, was successful in limiting the growth of primary particles and fit the experimental data.     

An Electrostatic Lens for Focusing Charged Particles in a Mass Spectrometer

The ability to transmit particles into the ablation region of an aerosol mass spectrometer determines in part the lower size limit for particles that can be analyzed. A large fraction of small particles (< 100 nm) are lost due to processes such as Brownian diffusion that broaden the particle beam. In this work, electrostatic focusing is used to overcome the limits of aerodynamic focusing in the analysis of nanometer-sized particles by aerosol mass spectrometry. A simple tube lens is used to focus charged particles into the ablation laser beam path. The diameter of the focused beam is smaller than the fundamental aerodynamic limit imposed by Brownian motion. Measured enhancements of the hit rate for particles between 21 and 33 nm diameter are between 3 and 6. These values are lower limits for the true enhancements. The lens is also energy selective and can be used to select the mass (size) of the particles being analyzed.     

Ultrafine Particle Sampling with the UNC Passive Aerosol Sampler

A model is presented to describe the collection of ultrafine particles by the UNC passive aerosol sampler. In this model, particle deposition velocity is calculated as a function of particle size, shape and other properties, as well as a function of sampler geometry. To validate the model, deposition velocities were measured for ultrafine particles between 15 and 90 nm in diameter. Passive aerosol samplers were placed in a 1 m ³ test chamber and exposed to an ultrafine aerosol of ammonium fluorescein. SEM images of particles collected by the samplers were taken at 125 kX magnification. Experimental values of deposition velocity were then determined using data from these images and from concurrent measurements of particle concentration and size distribution taken with an SMPS. Deposition velocities from the model and from the experiments were compared and found to agree well. These results suggest that the deposition velocity model presented here can be used to extend the use of the UNC passive aerosol sampler into the ultrafine particle size region.     

铁水连续预处理涡流反应器内液固两相流动特征的数值模拟

铁水预处理技术中反应器的设计至关重要. 采用k-e湍流模型与颗粒随机轨道模型相结合的两相流动模型,数值模拟了涡流反应器内铁水、反应剂的两相流动特征. 计算结果表明,选取本研究所用的反应器几何参数和运行参数,反应剂颗粒能有效地加入铁水中,与铁水较好混合,可达到设想的加料、混合、进而进行化学反应的效果.     

Determination of Particle Size Distribution of Ultra-Fine Aerosols Using a Differential Mobility Analyzer

The size analysis of ultrafine aerosol particles using a differential mobility analyzer combined with a CNC is discussed from two standpoints: (1) particle loss caused by Brownian diffusion in the analyzer, and (2) data reduction procedure where Fuchs' charging theory is applied. As a result, it has been found that (1) particle loss becomes significant when particle size is smaller than about 15 nm, and (2) a simple and practical data reduction procedure may be used, where the stationary bipolar charge distribution given by Boltzmann's law is modified by using Fuchs' charge distribution in the smaller size range.