Engineering Research Equipment Grant: Studies of Single Particles Using an Electrodynamic Balance

该奖项旨在为购买设备提供支持，以构建电动平衡系统，以研究分散的单颗粒与气体环境的相互作用。特别是，该设备将用于环境和模型气溶胶的研究，以及分离和去除气流中污染物的过程的实验模拟。电动平衡装置将使研究人员能够表征环境和模型气溶胶颗粒的光学性质、化学成分和动力学。该项目将涉及确定单个气溶胶粒子内化学物种的分布、光散射计算的准确性、单个粒子的折射率、单个粒子的吸湿性以及气溶胶粒子蒸发的动力学。颗粒平衡还将用于研究有害污染物的热分解、有机物和重金属在颗粒上的吸附、颗粒的表面积，以及描述颗粒去除气体污染物的数值模型的有效性。导致这一奖项的提案是对NSF 87-68工程研究设备拨款的回应。这项研究调查的结果预计将描述防止潜在有害污染物进入大气的基本机制。

This award is to provide support for purchase of equipment to construct an electrodynamic balance system for investigation of the interaction of dispersed single particles and a gaseous environment. In particular, the apparatus will be used in studies of ambient and model aerosols and in experimental simulations of processes that separate and remove contaminants from gas streams. The electrodynamic balance facility will enable researchers to characterize the optical properties, chemical composition, and kinetics of ambient and model aerosol particles. This project will involve determining the distribution of chemical species within individual aerosol particles, the accuracy of light scattering calculations, the index of refraction of single particles, hygroscopic properties of single particles, and the kinetics of aerosol particle evaporation. The particle balance also will be used to investigate the thermal decomposition of hazardous contaminants, the adsorption of organics and heavy metals onto particles, the surface area of particles, and the validity of numerical models that describe the removal of gaseous contaminants by particles. The proposal leading to this award was submitted in response to NSF 87- 68, Engineering Research Equipment Grants. The results of this research investigation are expected to describe the fundamental mechanisms by which potentially harmful contaminants may be prevented from entering the atmosphere.