AAAR 36th Annual Conference October 16 - October 20, 2017 Raleigh Convention Center Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
Abstract View
Sub-2 nm Particle Measurement in High-temperature Aerosol Reactor
YANG WANG, Michel Attoui, Pratim Biswas, Washington University in St Louis
Abstract Number: 249 Working Group: Nanoparticles and Materials Synthesis
Abstract Aerosol science and technology enable continual advances in material synthesis and atmospheric pollutant control. Among these advances, one important frontier is characterizing the initial stages of particle formation by real-time measurement of particles below 2 nm in size. Sub-2 nm particles play important roles by acting as seeds for particle growth, ultimately determining the final properties of the generated particles. Tailoring nanoparticle properties requires a thorough understanding and precise control of the particle formation processes, which in turn requires characterizing nanoparticle formation from the initial stages. High-resolution differential mobility analyzers, diethylene glycol-based condensation particle counters, and atmospheric pressure interface time-of-flight mass spectrometers are recently developed advanced instruments probing sub 2 nm particle formation pathways. These instruments show promise for studying incipient particles generated in high-temperature aerosol reactors.
This presentation intends to provide a state-of-the-art overview of these advanced instruments and related studies in high-temperature aerosol reactors, including flame aerosol reactors (FLARs), furnace aerosol reactors (FUARs), glowing wire generators (GWGs), and spark discharge generators (SDGs). The influence of reaction-generated ions on incipient particle growth is discussed in details. Numerical modeling shows that the influence of charging on particle growth dynamics was more prominent when the ion concentration was comparable to or higher than the particle concentrations, a condition which may be encountered in flame synthesis and solid fuel-burning. Some possible improvements to existing measurements of incipient particles at high temperatures are also discussed.