MODELING OF THE PROCESSES OF ULTRAFINE SIO2 PRODUCTION UNDER THERMAL PLASMA CONDITIONS

The production of ultrafine silica particles is examined by modelling the processes in a flow plasma reactor. The model is based on the authors' experimental data on silica sand processing by use of thermal are plasma. The free-molecular coagulation is assumed to be the dominant process for particle growth. This is carried out at fast cooling of the vapour, during its mixing with oxygen. The particle size distribution functions are calculated, and the influence of the chemical monomer generation and the mixing on their behavior is investigated. Comparison of the calculated and the experimental mean particle size is made.