Effect of precursor, ambient pressure, and temperature on the morphology, crystallinity, and decomposition of powders prepared by spray pyrolysis and drying

The effect of reactor pressure and temperature on the morphology, crystallinity, and decomposition behavior of various powders produced by spray pyrolysis or drying is investigated. Zirconia, magnesium sulphate, and sodium chloride powders are produced at the reactor pressures of 760, 400, 250, and 120 Torr, and at the reactor temperatures of 100 °C, 200 °C, and 400 °C. Zirconia and magnesium sulphate powders are spherical, whereas the sodium chloride powders are cubic. Regardless of the pressure, the powders produced at 100 °C and 200 °C appear solid, and powders produced at 400 °C are hollow and disrupted. The experimental data and the calculations indicate that the evaporation rate, which is a function of pressure and temperature, controls the solute distribution within the droplet and as such determines the morphology of the powders. In addition, the shape and morphology of the powders are strong functions of the precursor type. The decomposition and crystallinity of the powders are determined using XEDS and XRD analyses, respectively. The crystallinity and decomposition of the powders are weak functions of pressure and strong functions of temperature.