Structure and Properties of Sio2 Nanopowder Obtained From High-Silica Raw Materials by Plasma Method

Abstract

The paper presents a plasma-assisted generation of nanodisperse powder obtained from diatomite, a natural high-silica material. The structure and properties of the obtained material are investigated using the transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-Ray spectroscopy, infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller method. It is clearly shown that the obtained SiO₂ nanoparticles are spherical, polydisperse and represented in the form of agglomerates. The specific surface of this nanopowder is 32 m²/g. Thermodynamic modeling of the plasma-assisted process is used to obtain the equilibrium compositions of condensed and gaseous reaction products. The plasma process is performed within the 300–5000 K temperature range.