Fine silica powder preparation by use of a transferred arc thermal plasma reactor

Highly dispersed fine silica powder has been prepared from the quartzite mineral and petroleum coke by reactive evaporation in the thermal plasma and condensation from the vapour phase. The process made use of an indigenously developed dc plasma reactor in transferred arc mode. Silicon monoxide gas produced by heating the above mixture was condensed in the presence of steam. The product obtained was in the form of very fine agglomerates and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and laser particle size analysis. BET surface area and viscosity measurements were also carried out.