Generation of Silver Nanoparticles by Spark Discharge Aerosol Generator Using Air as a Carrier Gas

A spark discharge aerosol generator using air as a carrier gas has successfully been applied to silver nanoparticle production. The spark discharge between two silver electrodes, which was periodically obtained by discharging the capacitor, produced sufficient high temperatures to evaporate a small fraction of the silver electrodes. The silver vapor was subsequently supersaturated by rapid cooling and condensed to silver nanoparticles by nucleation and condensation. The morphology of the generated particles observed by transmission electron microscope was spherical. The element composition of the nanoparticles was silver, which was determined by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The crystal phase of the particles spark-generated under air atmosphere was composed of silver and silver oxides phase, which was determined by Xray diffraction analysis. While the nanoparticles generated under nitrogen atmosphere had only silver phase. This XRD data indicates that some fraction of the evaporated silver vapor could be oxidized in air atmosphere by the reaction with oxygen. A stable operation of the spark discharge generator has been achieved. The size and concentration of the particles can be easily controlled by altering the repetition frequency, capacitance, gap distance and flow rate of the spark discharge system.