Abstract
The effects of various conditions on the operation of an ultrasonic atomizer for battery material precursor solution spraying were investigated. The diameter of the droplets formed from this device was expected to roughly match that of the orifices from which they originated; however, two distinct modes of operation were observed for ejection from arrays of 17 μm and 55 μm orifices: 1) orifice-size dependent jetting and 2) generation of a mist of small droplets (< 10 μm), the size of which was frequency independent. Experiments were conducted at the first and second half-wave resonances of a 1.2 mm high chamber (0.63 and 1.05 MHz respectively), though extensive characterization was limited to the second resonance. In most cases, the flow rate was proportional to applied voltage on the piezoelectric drive, after a threshold amplitude was exceeded. The ability to generate sub-10 μm droplets from larger orifices was not expected, but this capability should prove advantageous for the production of atypical battery materials by spray pyrolysis.
Document Type
Final Report
Class Name
Mechanical Engineering and Material Sciences Independent Study
Date of Submission
5-10-2016
Recommended Citation
Champlin, Patrick A. and Meacham, J. Mark, "Characterization of Ultrasonic Precursor Solution Spraying for Battery Material Synthesis" (2016). Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science Independent Study. 9.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/mems500/9