Structure, mechanics and fracture of nanoparticulate aggregates

Today, the importance of industrial mass production of nano-scaled high quality products and specialty chemicals via pyrolysis or precipitation processes increased continuously. For application, the product properties are specified by particle characteristics such as size, morphology, abrasion resistance, specific surface and tendency to agglomerate which depends on the physicochemical properties of the particles as well as on the process parameters during synthesis and the following drying step. However, in most cases, nanosized particles aggregate during the growth phase forming secondary particles with sizes in the order of micrometers. […]