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On-the-fly green generation and dispersion of AgI nanoparticles for cloud seeding nuclei

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Abstract

This study reports on an on-the-fly green synthesis/dispersion of silver iodide (AgI) nanoparticles from the combustion of AgIO3/carbon black (CB)/nitrocellulose (NC) composites, which could be used as a candidate for a cloud-seeding pyrotechnic. Films were formed by direct electrospray deposition of a mixture of synthesized silver iodate with CB and NC. The decomposition pathways of AgIO3/CB and AgIO3/CB/NC were evaluated by temperature jump time of flight mass spectrometry (T-jump TOFMS) and XRD, showing that AgI particles and CO2 are released from the reaction between AgIO3 and CB without other toxic residuals. The flame propagation velocity of AgIO3/CB/NC films increases with the increasing of particle mass loading of AgIO3 and CB and peaks at 40 wt%, which is much higher than that of an AgI/AP/NC film. The mean diameter of the resultant AgI nanoparticles is from 51 to 97 nm. The mass loading of AgIO3 and CB was found to play a major role in size control of the AgI nanoparticles.

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Acknowledgments

This work was carried out with the support of the Defence Threat Reduction Agency. Xiuli Hu is grateful for the financial support from China Scholarship Council.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Xiuli Hu, Wenbo Zhou, Xizheng Wang, Tao Wu, Jeffery B. Delisio & Michael R. Zachariah

  2. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, 20742, USA

    Xiuli Hu, Wenbo Zhou, Xizheng Wang, Tao Wu, Jeffery B. Delisio & Michael R. Zachariah

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  1. Xiuli Hu
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  2. Wenbo Zhou
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  3. Xizheng Wang
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  4. Tao Wu
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  5. Jeffery B. Delisio
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  6. Michael R. Zachariah
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Correspondence to Michael R. Zachariah.

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Hu, X., Zhou, W., Wang, X. et al. On-the-fly green generation and dispersion of AgI nanoparticles for cloud seeding nuclei. J Nanopart Res 18, 214 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-016-3528-5

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