Investigation of surface properties of ultrafine particles by application of a multistep condensation nucleus counter

R. Niessner, B. Daeumer, D. Klockow

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38 Scopus citations

Abstract

The fate of atmospheric ultrafine particles is determined by their size, chemical composition, and especially by their physical and chemical surface properties. To characterize the surface of ultrafine particles, their behavior as condensation nuclei can be used. Monodisperse ultra-fine particles with different surface structures were investigated by observing the onset of droplet formation at a fixed electrical mobility diameter. Droplet growth was detected by application of a multistep condensation nucleus counter (CNC). The particles were generated under well-controlled conditions and monodisperse fractions were obtained using an electrostatic classifier. For studying the influence of changes in the surface structure, ultrafine sulfuric acid droplets were coated with different organic materials. Different surface films required different supersaturations for droplet growth depending on the molecular structure and layer thickness of the material used for coating. Therefore it was concluded that certain compounds, enriched on the particle surface, affect condensation of water vapor in such a way that higher supersaturations are required in comparison to the particle core material. Additionally, it was observed that remarkably high supersaturations of water vapor were required for condensation on particles consisting of the following materials: Metals, carbon, and Aerosil (spherical silica particles).

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)953-963
Number of pages11
JournalAerosol Science and Technology
Volume12
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 1990
Externally publishedYes

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