Continuous hydrothermal synthesis of inorganic nanopowders in supercritical water: Towards a better control of the process

A hydrothermal synthesis process working in supercritical conditions (T > 374 °C, P > 22 MPa) and in a continuous mode has been developed for inorganic nanopowder synthesis. This paper presents a review of the past 5 years of research conducted on this process. Numerous materials (oxides: ZrO2, TiO2, Fe2O3…, ferrites: Fe2CoO4…, or BaZrO3) were obtained with specific features. Some technical issues have been solved, that are presented here. Heat transfer was studied, leading to a more efficient design of the reactor. Future developments have been examined through process engineering, in which our group is engaged, especially through CFD modelling.