Size characterization of airborne SiO sub(2) nanoparticles with on-line and off-line measurement techniques: an interlaboratory comparison study

• Published in: Journal of nanoparticle research : an interdisciplinary forum for nanoscale science and technology Vol. 15; no. 10; pp. 1 - 36
• Main Authors: Motzkus, C, Mace, T, Gaie-Levrel, F, Ducourtieux, S, Delvallee, A, Dirscherl, K, Hodoroaba, V-D, Popov, I, Popov, O, Kuselman, I, Takahata, K, Ehara, K, Ausset, P, Maille, M, Michielsen, N, Bondiguel, S, Gensdarmes, F, Morawska, L, Johnson, G R, Faghihi, E M, Kim, C S, Kim, Y H, Chu, M C, Guardado, JA, Salas, A, Capannelli, G, Costa, C, Bostrom, T, Jaemting, AaK, Lawn, MA, Adlem, L, Vaslin-Reimann, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.10.2013
• Subjects: Interlaboratory; Nanocomposites; Nanomaterials; Nanoparticles; Nanostructure; On-line systems; Silicon dioxide
• ISSN: 1388-0764; 1572-896X
• DOI: 10.1007/s11051-013-1919-4

Results of an interlaboratory comparison on size characterization of SiO sub(2) airborne nanoparticles using on-line and off-line measurement techniques are discussed. This study was performed in the framework of Technical Working Area (TWA) 34-"Properties of Nanoparticle Populationsa[euro] of the Versailles Project on Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) in the project no. 3 "Techniques for characterizing size distribution of airborne nanoparticlesa[euro]. Two types of nano-aerosols, consisting of (1) one population of nanoparticles with a mean diameter between 30.3 and 39.0 nm and (2) two populations of non-agglomerated nanoparticles with mean diameters between, respectively, 36.2-46.6 nm and 80.2-89.8 nm, were generated for characterization measurements. Scanning mobility particle size spectrometers (SMPS) were used for on-line measurements of size distributions of the produced nano-aerosols. Transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used as off-line measurement techniques for nanoparticles characterization. Samples were deposited on appropriate supports such as grids, filters, and mica plates by electrostatic precipitation and a filtration technique using SMPS controlled generation upstream. The results of the main size distribution parameters (mean and mode diameters), obtained from several laboratories, were compared based on metrological approaches including metrological traceability, calibration, and evaluation of the measurement uncertainty. Internationally harmonized measurement procedures for airborne SiO sub(2) nanoparticles characterization are proposed.