Densities in relation to size of spherical aerosols produced by nebulization and heat degradation.

Abstract

The Lovelace aerosol particle separator, a spinning spiral aerosol spectrometer, was used to determine the density of aerosol particles by measuring the particle diameter and the associated aerodynamic diameter over an aerodynamic size range of 0.3 to 3.5 microns. The density of uranine aerosol was 1.48 gm/cm3 and was relatively constant with respect to size. The density of iron oxide aerosol was also relatively constant with respect to size and had values ranging from 2.2 to 2.6 gm/cm3, depending on the starting material. Fused clay aerosols with various radioactive labels had a range of densities from 2.0 to 2.20 gm/cm3, and the densities were independent of particle size. Densities of aerosols of uranium, cobalt, zirconium, and plutonium oxides produced by heat degradation appeared to have a size dependence depending on the starting material.