(513d) Scale-up of Nanoparticle Manufacturing By Flame Spray Pyrolysis

The scaling-up of nanoparticle manufacturing by versatile flame spray pyrolysis (FSP) is investigated numerically and experimentally for production of ZrO₂. The process is described with a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics model that allows extracting the high-temperature particle residence time (HTPRT) that is governed by the dispersion gas to precursor liquid mass flow ratio as well as the flame enthalpy content. The HTPRT is shown to control the primary particle and agglomerate size, morphology and even ZrO₂ crystallinity in agreement with experimental data. By keeping the HTPRT constant the production rate for ZrO₂ nanoparticles could be scaled up from ~100 to 500 g/h without significantly affecting product particle properties, revealing the HTPRT as a key design parameter for flame aerosol processes.