We report the synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanoparticles prepared via pulse combustion-spray pyrolysis (PC-SP) at a high rate. Instead of using an ultrasonic nebulizer as the atomizer during PC-SP synthesis, a two-fluid nozzle was used to enhance the production rate. A high production rate was achieved by the use of a two-fluid nozzle, which efficiently generated droplets in large quantities, and by controlling the rate of precursor flow. ZnO nanoparticles were characterized using X-ray diffractometry (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and UV-vis spectroscopy. The prepared ZnO nanoparticles were spherical and highly crystalline with an average size of 15.6 nm. In addition, high UV-light absorption and visible-light transparency properties were successfully obtained for a dispersion of ZnO nanoparticles in glycerol. The high UV-blocking capacity of the ZnO particle dispersion makes the dispersion potentially useful in cosmetic applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.