Experimental Study on Preparation of Nano ZnO by Hydrodynamic Cavitation-Enhanced Carbonization Method and Response Surface Optimization

The carbonization method for preparing Nano ZnO is characterized by its simplicity, ease of reaction control, high product purity, environmental friendliness, and potential for CO2 recycling. However, traditional carbonization processes suffer from poor heat and mass transfer, leading to in situ growth and agglomeration, resulting in low carbonization efficiency, small specific surface area, and inferior product performance. To enhance micro-mixing and mass transfer efficiency, ZnO derived from zinc ash calcination was used as the raw material, and hydrodynamic cavitation technology was employed to intensify the carbonization reaction process. The reaction mechanism of hydrodynamic cavitation was analyzed, and a single-factor experimental study investigated the effects of reaction time, reaction temperature, solid–liquid ratio, calcination temperature, incident angle, cavitation number, and position height on the specific surface area and carbonization rate of Nano ZnO. The response surface method was utilized to explore the significance of the three most influential factors—solid–liquid ratio, cavitation number, and position height—on the carbonization rate and specific surface area. The products were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), laser particle size analysis, and specific surface area analysis. The results showed that the optimal process parameters were a reaction temperature of 80 °C, a reaction time of 120 min, a solid–liquid ratio of 5.011:100, a calcination temperature of 500 °C for 1 h, an incident angle of 60°, a cavitation number of 0.366, and a position height of 301.128 mm. The interaction between solid–liquid ratio and position height significantly influenced the process parameter variations. Under these conditions, the specific surface area and carbonization rate were 63.190 m2/g and 94.623%, respectively. The carbonized product was flaky Nano ZnO with good dispersion and small particle size. Compared to traditional mechanical stirring and bubbling methods, the specific surface area increased by 1.5 times, the carbonization rate improved by 10%, and the particle size decreased by half, significantly enhancing the product performance.