Synthesis of Cu nanopowders by condensation from the gas phase

In order to determine the most efficient regimes of copper nanoparticles synthesis, a series of experiments were conducted by evaporation and subsequent condensation of the raw material in an argon atmosphere. During the tests it was found that an increase of evaporation rate increases significantly the average size of the synthesized particles. However, the study of the dependence of dimensional parameters of the produced clusters on the intensity of the buffer gas flow rate has encountered significant difficulties associated because the results significantly divergent from the previously conducted experiments on the synthesis of transition metal oxides. In order to solve this contradiction the computer simulation was held of copper atoms condensation from the gas phase for the three different cooling rates and for the two final temperatures T = 373 K and T = 77 K. It was found after analysis that the rate of cooling of the gas mixture and the final temperature directly influences the number and the size of particles produced. For instance, with the 10 times of cooling rate decreases the average size of the particles obtained had increased by 2.7 times at a final temperature of 77 K and by 3.1 times at Tf = 373 K. (paper)