Design of a Lab-Scale Rotary Cavity-Type Solar Reactor for Continuous Thermal Dissociation of Volatile Oxides Under Reduced Pressure

A high-temperature lab-scale solar reactor prototype was designed, constructed and operated, allowing continuous ZnO thermal dissociation under controlled atmosphere at reduced pressure. It is based on a cavity-type rotating receiver absorbing solar radiation and composed of standard refractory materials. The reactant oxide powder is injected continuously inside the cavity and the produced particles (Zn) are recovered in a downstream ceramic filter. Dilution/quenching of the product gases with a neutral gas yields Zn nanoparticles by condensation. The solar thermal dissociation of ZnO was experimentally achieved, the reaction yields were quantified, and a first concept of solar reactor was qualified. The maximum yield of particles recovery in the filter was 21% and the dissociation yield was up to 87% (Zn weight content in the final powder) for a 5 NL/min neutral gas flow-rate (typical dilution ratio of 300).