Homogenous nucleation rates of n-propanol measured in the Laminar Flow Diffusion Chamber at different total pressures.

Abstract

Nucleation rates of n-propanol were investigated in the Laminar Flow Diffusion Chamber. Nucleation temperatures between 270 and 300 K and rates between 10(0) and 10(6) cm(-3) s(-1) were achieved. Since earlier measurements of n-butanol and n‑pentanol suggest a dependence of nucleation rates on carrier gas pressure, similar conditions were adjusted for these measurements. The obtained data fit well to results available from literature. A small positive pressure effect was found which strengthen the assumption that this effect is attributed to the carbon chain length of the n-alcohol [D. Brus, A. P. Hyvärinen, J. Wedekind, Y. Viisanen, M. Kulmala, V. Ždímal, J. Smolík, and H. Lihavainen, J. Chem. Phys. 128, 134312 (2008)] and might be less intensive for substances in the homologous series with higher equilibrium vapor pressure. A comparison with the theoretical approach by Wedekind et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 12 (2008)] shows that the effect goes in the same direction but that the intensity is much stronger in experiments than in theory.