SBIR Phase I: Optical Detection and Sizing of Aerosol Nanoparticles (diameter detection limit below 2 nanometers)

SBIR 第一阶段：气溶胶纳米粒子的光学检测和尺寸测定（直径检测限低于 2 纳米）

• 批准号: 0214894
• 负责人: Manuel Gamero
• 金额: $ 9.79万
• 依托单位: BUSEK CO, INC
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-07-01 至 2003-04-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0214894&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Optical; Detection; Sizing

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project intends to fabricate, and test a condensation nucleus counter (CNC) of the turbulent-mixing type, with a detection limit below 2 nm particle diameter, and able to measure the size distribution of aerosol nanoparticles. A novelty of this apparatus is that its super-saturation level can be adjusted quickly and accurately along a wide range. This ability, along with the dependence between critical super-saturation and embryo diameter, will make it possible to measure in real time the size distribution of the nanometric fraction of the aerosol. It will be shown that the design of this CNC effectively delays the onset of homogeneous nucleation; uncharged particles smaller than 3 nm in diameter are readily activated; a detection limit below 2 nm for uncharged particles can be achieved by using the appropriate condensing vapor; and charged nanoparticles of arbitrary small size are detected. Note that this demonstrated detection limit is substantially smaller than that of the best CNC commercially available (TSI model 3025A, 3 nm detection limit). Three tasks have been identified to materialize the goals of this proposal: design and fabrication of a CNC prototype; experimental demonstration of the performance of the CNC; and execution of fundamental research on heterogeneous nucleation. The overall work will eventually lead to the commercialization of an improved CNC. The main fields of application include: bio-aerosol detection, air quality testing, environmental studies, particle emission testing, and materials, pharmaceutical and basic aerosol research. This turbulent-mixing CNC will enable the analysis of macromolecules via liquid chromatography with a very significant gain of sensitivity with respect to more common schemes. This analytical application has considerable commercial potential.

本小企业创新研究一期项目拟制造并测试湍流混合型冷凝核计数器（CNC），检测限颗粒直径小于2 nm，能够测量气溶胶纳米颗粒的尺寸分布。该装置的新颖之处在于它的超饱和水平可以在大范围内快速准确地调节。这种能力，加上临界过饱和度和胚胎直径之间的依赖关系，将使实时测量气溶胶纳米部分的大小分布成为可能。结果表明，该数控系统的设计有效地延缓了均匀形核的发生；直径小于3纳米的不带电粒子很容易被激活；通过使用适当的冷凝蒸汽，可以实现对不带电粒子低于2 nm的检测限；并且可以检测到任意小尺寸的带电纳米颗粒。请注意，此演示的检测限大大小于市面上最好的CNC （TSI型号3025A， 3 nm检测限）。为了实现该提案的目标，已经确定了三个任务：设计和制造CNC原型；数控系统性能的实验验证；开展非均相成核的基础研究。整体工作将最终导致商业化的改进数控。主要应用领域包括：生物气溶胶检测、空气质量检测、环境研究、颗粒排放检测以及材料、制药和基础气溶胶研究。这种湍流混合CNC将使通过液相色谱分析大分子具有相对于更常见方案的非常显着的灵敏度增益。这种分析应用具有相当大的商业潜力。