A study on the size effect of AgI on cloud seeding

Abstract

Water is one of the essential elements for maintaining human life and the lives of all other living things, including plants and animals. Beyond the climatic changes brought on by global warming, inadequate groundwater supplies, rivers, and reservoirs, as well as intensive agricultural activities, are also factors that cause drought in some areas. Engineers and researchers have introduced cloud seeding as one of the strategies of artificial rainfall for the possibility of water supply due to the seriousness of the issue. Silver iodide is one of the most popular and practical substances used as ice nucleating particles (INP) (AgI). In order to prepare the nanoparticles and examine their shape for use in upcoming applications in the realm of cloud seeding, a study into the synthesis of silver iodide (AgI) nanoparticles is conducted. A solution-based technique is utilized to create AgI nanoparticles utilizing chemicals such as potassium iodide (KI) and silver nitrate (AgNO3). The preparation of AgI nanoparticles and discussion of how size affects cloud seeding are the aims of this study. The evaluation of the generated AgI NPs using the characterization analysis. The samples were subjected to ultraviolet–visible spectrum studies, and the results showed that the samples' characteristic wavelength was 415 nm. The particles were shown to have regular and irregular rectangle shapes and some of the bigger particles to have aggregated by scanning electron microscopy. The average AgI NP particle size, as determined by transmission electron microscopy study, was 24 nm. The efficiency of silver iodide solution and distilled water at transferring heat was compared using thermal conductivity analysis.