Evaporation characteristics of kerosene droplets with dilute concentrations of ligand-protected aluminum nanoparticles at elevated temperatures

The evaporation characteristics of kerosene droplets containing dilute concentrations (0.1%, 0.5%, and 1.0% by weight) of ligand-protected aluminum (Al) nanoparticles (NPs) suspended on silicon carbide fiber were studied experimentally at different ambient temperatures (400-800 degrees C) under normal gravity. The evaporation behavior of pure and stabilized kerosene droplets was also examined for comparison. The results show that at relatively low temperatures (400-600 degrees C), the evaporation behavior of suspended kerosene droplets containing dilute concentrations of Al NPs was similar to that of pure kerosene droplets and exhibited two-stage evaporation following the classical d(2)-law. However, at relatively high temperatures (700-800 degrees C), bubble formation and micro-explosions were observed, which were not detected in pure or stabilized kerosene droplets. For all Al NP suspensions, regardless of the concentration, the evaporation rate remained higher than that of pure and stabilized kerosene droplets in the range 400-800 degrees C. At relatively low temperatures, the evaporation rate increased slightly. However, at relatively high temperatures (700-800 degrees C), the melting of Al NPs led to substantial enhancement of evaporation. The maximum increase in the evaporation rate (56.7%) was observed for the 0.5% Al NP suspension at 800 degrees C. (C) 2013 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.