Effect of preparation conditions and types of spray solutions on the formation of nano-sized silver–glass composite powders in flame spray pyrolysis

The preparation conditions and the types of spray solution affect the formation of silver–glass composite powders in the flame spray pyrolysis. The nano-sized silver–glass composite powders with good firing characteristics at low temperatures are prepared under high-temperature diffusion flame applying ethyl alcohol to the spray solution. However, the powders prepared under low temperature diffusion flame have bimodal size distribution of nanometer and submicron sizes, in which glass material is not formed in the composite powders. The silver conducting films formed from the powders with bimodal size distribution have specific resistances of 17.2, 6.5 and 3.7 μΩ cm at firing temperatures of 400, 450 and 500 °C. However, the silver conducting films formed from the nano-sized composite powders with narrow size distribution have low specific resistances of 4.2, 4.1 and 2.8 μΩ cm at firing temperatures of 400, 450 and 500 °C.