The collision efficiency of spherical dioctyl phthalate aerosol particles in the Brownian coagulation

Abstract

The collision efficiency in the Brownian coagulation is investigated. A new mechanical model of collision between two identical spherical particles is proposed, and a set of corresponding collision equations is established. The equations are solved numerically, thereby obtaining the collision efficiency for the monodisperse dioctyl phthalate spherical aerosols with diameters ranging from 100 to 760 nm in the presence of van der Waals force and the elastic deformation force. The calculated collision efficiency, in agreement with the experimental data qualitatively, decreases with the increase of particle diameter except a small peak appearing in the particles with a diameter of 510 nm. The results show that the interparticle elastic deformation force cannot be neglected in the computation of particle Brownian coagulation. Finally, a set of new expressions relating collision efficiency to particle diameter is established.