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FTIR studies of low temperature sulfuric acid aerosols
Author(s) -
Anthony S. E.,
Tisdale R. T.,
Disselkamp R. S.,
Tolbert M. A.,
Wilson J. C.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1029/95gl01031
Subject(s) - sulfuric acid , fourier transform infrared spectroscopy , analytical chemistry (journal) , nucleation , aerosol , sulfate , spectroscopy , materials science , chemistry , chemical engineering , inorganic chemistry , environmental chemistry , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was used to study low temperature sulfuric acid aerosols representative of global stratospheric sulfate aerosols (SSAs). Sub‐micrometer sized sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) particles were generated using a constant output atomizer source. The particles were then exposed to water vapor before being injected into a low temperature cell. Multipass transmission FTIR spectroscopy was used to determine the phase and composition of the aerosols as a function of time for periods of up to 5 hours. Binary H 2 SO 4 /H 2 O aerosols with compositions from 35 to 95 wt % H 2 SO 4 remained liquid for over 3 hours at temperatures ranging from 189–240 K. These results suggest that it is very difficult to freeze SSAs via homogeneous nucleation. Attempts to form aerosols more dilute than 35 wt % H 2 SO 4 resulted in ice formation.