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Nanometal Dust Explosion in Confined Vessel: Combustion and Kinetic Analysis
Khairiah Mohd Mokhtar1, Rafiziana Md Kasmani2, Che Rosmani Che Hassan1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
ACS Omega
|July 26, 2021
Summary
Metal dust explosions, especially from aluminum and silver nanoparticles used in solar cells, pose risks. Smaller particle sizes increase explosion severity, with aluminum being more explosive than silver due to agglomeration effects.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Combustion Science
Background:
- Metal powders, particularly in nanoforms, present significant dust explosion hazards due to pyrophoric behavior and high sensitivity.
- Understanding the physicochemical properties and kinetic mechanisms of metal dusts is crucial for preventing explosions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the explosion severity of aluminum and silver powders relevant to passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) solar cells.
- To explore the influence of particle size and concentration on explosion parameters.
Main Methods:
- Experiments were conducted in a 0.0012 m³ cylindrical vessel.
- Varying particle sizes and powder concentrations were tested.
- Analysis included thermogravimetric (TG) curves and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).
Main Results:
- Explosion severity (Pmax and dP/dtmax) increased as particle size decreased.
- Silver powder exhibited lower explosion severity than aluminum powder due to particle agglomeration.
- Agglomeration reduced specific surface area, impacting oxidation kinetics; silver showed sluggish oxidation compared to aluminum.
Conclusions:
- Particle size is a critical factor in metal dust explosion severity.
- Aluminum dust is more prone to explosion than silver dust under similar conditions.
- The oxidation pathways and products differ between aluminum (Al2O3) and silver (Ag, Ag2O).
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