Effect of process conditions on spray dried calcium carbonate powders for thermal spraying

Abstract

Powder preparation is an important stage in the production of thermal spray coatings with the desired characteristics. An important powder feature is flowability, which can be adjusted through particle morphology, particle size and size distribution. Combined, these features dictate the quality of the coating produced. To increase a powder's flowability, spherical particles within a particular size range are ideal. One way to achieve this is through spray drying. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of spray drying process parameters on the physical properties of calcium carbonate powder, with the goal of producing large, spherical particles ranging between 50 and 100 μm in preparation for thermal spray experiments. A key aspect was the use of ethanol to aide in the production of large spheres. A 23 factorial design of experiments (DoE) was utilised to study the following process parameters: gas flow rate, feed flow rate and solids loading. The resulting powders were characterised in terms of particle size, morphology and production yield. Porous, hollow, spherical particles were produced in a suitable size range for thermal spraying, which was attributed to the rapid evaporation of ethanol. Statistical analysis was utilised to interpret trends between the spray drying parameters and powder characteristics quantitatively.