Technique for aerosol generation with controllable micrometer size distribution

• Published in: Chemosphere (Oxford) Vol. 73; no. 5; pp. 760 - 767
• Main Authors: Lee, Yao-Chuan, Jeng, Fu-Tien, Chen, Chih-Chieh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.10.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aerosol generator; Aerosols; Aerosols - chemistry; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; Biological and medical sciences; Chemistry; Colloidal state and disperse state; Environment. Living conditions; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Exact sciences and technology; General and physical chemistry; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Indoor pollution and occupational exposure; Medical sciences; Particle Size; Pollution; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Size distribution pattern; Temperature; Test aerosol; Ultrasonic atomizer; Ultrasonic atomizer; Size distribution pattern; Test aerosol; Aerosol generator; Air quality; Exposure; Occupational exposure; Processing control; Particle size distribution; Ultrasonic nebulization; Health and environment; Measurement technique; Aerosols; Indoor pollution; Microparticle; Public health
• ISSN: 0045-6535; 1879-1298
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2008.06.023

The purpose of this study is to develop an aerosol generating system that can produce particles of micrometer size in a convenient and efficient way. This system is comprised of an ultrasonic atomizer, potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate (PST) as solute and a program-controlled solute feeding unit with different PST concentrations. Both the aerosol concentration and size distribution pattern can be easily controlled and reproduced in the developed system. While the initial size of droplets generated from atomizer may remain unchanged, the size of residual dry aerosols was controlled by the solute concentration adjusted by the mixing ratio of solute and water. In addition, PST concentration could be alternatively adjusted in any cyclic way to provide particles with relatively mono-disperse, bimodal, varying size as well as skew distribution to meet requirements for various applications. The main advantage of the generating system is to generate particles of specific size distribution in order to simulate aerosols in ambient air or working places.