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Synthesis of nanoparticles in carbon arc: measurements and modeling

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Abstract

This work presents a study of the region of nanoparticle growth in an atmospheric pressure carbon arc. The nanoparticles are detected using the planar laser-induced incandescence technique. The measurements revealed large clouds of nanoparticles in the arc periphery bordering the region with a high density of diatomic carbon molecules. Two-dimensional computational fluid dynamic simulations of the arc combined with thermodynamic modeling show that this is due to the interplay of the condensation of carbon molecular species and the convection flow pattern. These results show that the nanoparticles are formed in the colder, peripheral regions of the arc and describe the parameters necessary for coagulation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Dr. Michael Schneider and Dr. Ken Hara for fruitful discussions and to A. Merzhevskiy for technical assistance. LII measurements and the thermodynamic simulations were supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. The arc modeling was supported by the US DOE Office of Science, Fusion Energy Sciences.

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Author notes

  1. James Mitrani

    Present address: Current address: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton University, NJ, 08540, USA

    Shurik Yatom, Alexander Khrabry, James Mitrani, Andrei Khodak, Igor Kaganovich, Vladislav Vekselman, Brent Stratton & Yevgeny Raitses

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  1. Shurik Yatom
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Correspondence to Shurik Yatom.

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Yatom, S., Khrabry, A., Mitrani, J. et al. Synthesis of nanoparticles in carbon arc: measurements and modeling. MRS Communications 8, 842–849 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrc.2018.91

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