Tailoring particle size through nanoparticle precipitation

Precipitation of nanoscaled particles and the size-determining precipitation parameters are investigated experimentally as well as numerically using barium sulfate as a reference substance. The objective of this work is to successfully understand and predict precipitation kinetics. Optimization and tailoring of product properties to specific needs would then be possible without the need of extensive experimentation and its costs. Special attention is paid to the influences of mixing as well as stabilization on the formed PSD. To simulate particle formation the population balance equation, including the terms for nucleation, growth, and agglomeration, is coupled with an specially developed extended version for equi-volumetric mixing of the Engulfment-Deformation-Diffusion-model of micromixing of Baldyga and Bourne (1999). The proposed predictive model for nanoparticle precipitation is explained in detail and simulation results are presented, discussed, and compared to experimental results.