Generation and properties of highly concentrated metal oxide aerosols in a steam atmosphere

For a large scale aerosol behavior experiment, generators are being constructed which will produce 8 kg of metal oxide within one hour into a 640 m3 vessel containing a hot pressurized steam-air-mixture. Preliminary tests have been carried out with a 10 kW plasma gun mounted in a 1 m3 test vessel. Fe and Sn powders were vaporized and oxidized in the gun, and condensed to aerosols with primary particles in the size range of 0.1 to 0.3 μm. Aerosol production rates of > 10 g/min have been measured; the resulting high mass concentrations cause fast coagulation and removal of particles in the small volume. No influence of the composition of the vessel atmosphere on aerosol production rates was observed. The subsequent aerosol behavior, however, is strongly enhanced by the presence of steam