Production of Nanopowders Using Nanosecond Electron Beam

Abstract

Frequency nanosecond electron accelerators type URT has been developed for use in radiation technologies. The accelerator includes a thyratron, a pulse transformer and a semiconductor opening switch. The accelerating voltage is up to 0.9 MV, FWHM pulse length is up to 60 ns, and the repetition rate is up to 250 Hz. A metal ceramic cathode, which is used in the accelerator, provides an electron beam cross section up to 16 cm in diameter or rectangular with the dimensions of 45 * 5cm² at a maximum density of the pulse current equal to 2 A/cm². Thus, a family of nanosecond electron accelerators has been developed for use in radiation technologies applied to layers up to 0.4 g/cm² thick, such as production of nanopowders from gas and liquid precursors.

Experiments on the irradiation of silver nitrate solutions in various liquids by a URT-0.5 accelerator facilitated the development of technology for producing silver nanopowders (NPs). The powder yield and particle size as a function of the irradiation mode has been established. An increase in the adsorbed dose results in an increased powder yield; however, the particle size decreases and the powder agglomeration rate increases. Therefore, the targeted production of silver NPs with a mean particle size in the range of 90–1100 nm is possible. Besides to produce TiO₂ and SiO₂ NPs the gas precursors were used.

Keywords:

• Electron beam
• nanopowders
• electron accelerator