Small angle x-ray scattering and electron microscopy of nanoparticles formed in an electrical arc

Small Angle X-ray Scattering has been used to characterize nanoparticles generated by electrical arcing between metallic (AgSnO2) electrodes. The particles are found to have diameters between 30 and 40 nm and display smooth surfaces suggesting that they are either in liquid form or have solidified from the liquid state. Particles collected around the electrodes were analyzed by Transmission Electron Microscopy and were seen to be much larger than those seen in the SAXS measurement, to be spherical in form and composed of silver metal with irregular tin oxide particles deposited on their surface. Mixed metal nanoparticles can have important practical applications and the use of mixed sintered electrodes may be a direct method for their production.