Open AccessChemical and physicochemial properties of submicron aerosol agglomerates
Author(s) -
R.C. Scripsick,
Sheryl H. Ehrman,
Sheldon K. Friedlander
Publication year - 1998
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
DOI - 10.2172/560747
Subject(s) - aerosol , agglomerate , particle (ecology) , analytical chemistry (journal) , particle size distribution , chemistry , transmission electron microscopy , nanometre , particle size , nanotechnology , materials science , chromatography , organic chemistry , oceanography , composite material , geology
This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at Los Alamos National Laboratory. The formation of nanometer-sized aerosol particles in a premixed methane flame from both solid-phase aerosol precursors and gas-phase precursors was investigated. Techniques were developed to determine the distribution of the individual chemical species as a function of agglomerate size by using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). To determine the distribution of chemical species both from particle to particle and within the particles on a nanometer scale, we used the analytical electron microscopy techniques of energy dispersive x-ray spectrometry (EDS) and electron energy loss spectrometry (EELS) coupled with transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The observed distribution of individual chemical species as a function of agglomerate size was linked to the material properties of the solid-phase precursors. For aerosol formed from gas-phase precursors by gas-to-particle conversion, the distribution of species on a manometer scale was found to correspond to the equilibrium phase distribution expected from equilibrium for the system at the flame temperatures