Effect of gliding arc plasma on the combustion characteristics of co-firing of NH3 and metal powders

Wang, Ziyu, Aravind, B., Steer, Julian ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3003-4768, Mashruk, Syed and Valera Medina, Agustin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1580-7133 2027. Effect of gliding arc plasma on the combustion characteristics of co-firing of NH3 and metal powders. Combustion and Flame 295 , 115378. 10.1016/j.combustflame.2026.115378

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Abstract

This study investigates the potential synergistic effects of iron powders and gliding arc plasma (GAP) in ammonia (NH3)-air flame. Combustion behaviour was analysed using optical diagnostics, and the resulting solid particles were characterised through advanced material analysis techniques. For the first time, the combustion behaviours of iron powders in an NH3 swirl flame were examined, and the effects of GAP on the resulting metal powder combustion products were evaluated. The results demonstrate that the addition of iron powders significantly increases flame zone and, like GAP, elevates the temperature at the bottom of the combustion chamber, with their combined effect leading to an increase of 88 K. Iron powders also produce a distinct emission peak around 600 nm, corresponding to iron oxide molecular bands. Furthermore, the high-temperature, high-energy regions generated by GAP discharges induce partial burning of iron particles, reducing the visible solid particle content. Post-combustion analysis reveals that initially dispersed Fe particles aggregate into block-like structures primarily composed of Fe2O3 and Fe3O4, with sintering and agglomeration effects being more pronounced in GAP samples. These findings provide new insights into the thermal behaviour and morphology evolution of metal powders during combustion and may inform novel strategies for their processing and treatment.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Engineering
Publisher:	Elsevier BV
ISSN:	0010-2180
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	26 October 2026
Date of Acceptance:	13 October 2026
Last Modified:	26 Oct 2026 12:07
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/190415

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