A NOVEL SPINNING DISC CONTINUOUS STIR TANK AND SETTLER REACTOR (SDCSTR) MODEL FOR CONTINUOUS SYNTHESIS OF TITANIA: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL MODEL

A novel phenomenological spinning disc continuous stir tank and settler reactor (SDCSTR) has been modeled for continuous synthesis of titania from its chloride precursor and water in which the desired polymorph, particle size, and distribution are controlled by the characteristics of the atomized inlet reagents, disc, and tank stir rate. This energy-efficient reactor generates seeding nuclei in the aerosol reacting volume that are then deployed for heterogeneous nucleation and particle growth in the metastable reacting volume of the aqueous (sol) process. Once at steady state, the enhanced TiO2 nanoparticles due to the OH−–H+ chemisorbed on the surface (with surface energy 0.5 < σ < 2.11 N/m) are continuously withdrawn at a rate equivalent to the particle settling rate from the settler. This reactor model eliminates the energy intensity required in traditional chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and aerosol reactors and provides better control for particle growth and size distribution by increasing particle residence time in the metastable zone of the aqueous (sol) reaction stage.

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