A new dual matrix burner for one-dimensional investigation of aerosol flames

In spray-flame synthesis of nanoparticles, a precise understanding of the reaction processes is necessary to find optimal process parameters for the formation of the desired products. Coupling the chemistries of flame, solvent, and gas-phase species initially formed from the particle precursor in combination with the complex flow geometry of the spray flame means a special challenge for the modeling of the reaction processes. A new burner has been developed that is capable to observe the reaction of precursor solutions frequently used in spray-flame synthesis. The burner provides an almost flat, laminar, and steady flame with homogeneous addition of a fine aerosol and thus enables detailed investigation and modeling of the coupled reactions independent of spray formation and turbulent mixing. With its two separate supply channel matrices, the burner also enables the use of reactants that would otherwise react with each other already before reaching the flame. These features enable the investigation of a wide range of flame-based synthesis methods for nanoparticles and, due to the flat-flame geometry, kinetics models for these processes can be developed and validated. This work describes the matrix burner development and its gas flow optimization by simulation. Droplet-size distributions generated by ultrasonic nebulization and their interaction with the burner structure are investigated by phase-Doppler anemometry. As an example for nanoparticle-forming flames from solutions, iron-oxide nanoparticle-generating flames using iron(III) nitrate nonahydrate dissolved in 1-butanol were investigated. This effort includes measurements of two-dimensional maps of the flame temperature by a thermocouple and height-dependent concentration profiles of the main species by time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Experimental data are compared with 1D simulations using a reduced reaction mechanism. The results show that the new burner is well suited for the development of reaction models for precursors supplied in the liquid phase usually applied in spray-flame synthesis configurations.