SOLID SILVER PARTICLE-PRODUCTION BY SPRAY PYROLYSIS

Solid, spherical, micron-sized silver metal particles were produced by spray pyrolysis from a silver nitrate solution. The effects of reaction temperature, carrier gas type, solution concentration, and aerosol droplet size on the characteristics of the resultant silver particles were examined. Pure, dense, unagglomerated particles were produced with an ultrasonic generator at and above 600-degrees-C using N2 carrier gas, and at and above 900-degrees-C using air as the carrier gas. Solid particle formation at temperatures below the melting point of silver (962-degrees-C) was attributed to sufficiently long residence times (3.5-54 s) which allowed aerosol-phase densification of the porous silver particles resulting from reaction of the precursor.