Aerosol synthesis of titania nanoparticles: Effect of flame orientation and configuration

Flame aerosol synthesis was employed to make nanoscale titania particles with controlled size, morphology and crystallinity by oxidation of titanium-tetra-isopropoxide. The effect of upward and downward flame orientation on these particle characteristics was investigated for laminar premixed flame reactors. The burner orientation influenced the product powder crystallinity but had only a minor effect on particle size and morphology. Reactant mixing in four diffusion flame configurations was studied to make titania nanoparticles of 10 to 50 nm average primary particle diameter and 6 to 60 wt-% rutile and the balance anatase. This showed the flexibility of diffusion flame reactors to produce a range of nanoparticle qualities for applications in ceramics, catalysis or pigments.