Plasma-Assisted Synthesis of Lithium-Based Cathode Materials From Salt Solutions—Part 1: Evaporation of Salt Solutions in a Nitrogen Plasma

This investigation explores the evaporation dynamics of three aqueous multicomponent salt solutions exposed to a 30 kW nitrogen plasma jet. The solutions, characterized by varying salt concentrations, were introduced into a plasma mixing chamber in the form of droplets with initial diameters ranging from 30–100 $\mu $ m. Detailed 3-D simulations were conducted in ANSYS fluent to assess the impact of droplet size and solution composition on evaporation efficiency. The results demonstrate that higher-concentration solutions require less energy for complete evaporation and provide a more uniform output profile, making them preferable for plasma-assisted thermal treatment applications.