Gas−Particle Partitioning of Alcohol Vapors on Organic Aerosols

Single particle levitation using an electrodynamic balance (EDB) has been found to give accurate and direct hygroscopic measurements (gas−particle partitioning of water) for a number of inorganic and organic aerosol systems. In this paper, we extend the use of an EDB to examine the gas−particle part...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science & technology 2010-01, Vol.44 (1), p.257-262
Main Authors: Chan, Lap P, Lee, Alex K. Y, Chan, Chak K
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adsorption
Aerosols
Aerosols - analysis
Alcohol
Alcohols - chemistry
Applied sciences
Environmental Processes
Exact sciences and technology
Gases
Gases - chemistry
Organic Chemicals - chemistry
Pollution
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Summary:Single particle levitation using an electrodynamic balance (EDB) has been found to give accurate and direct hygroscopic measurements (gas−particle partitioning of water) for a number of inorganic and organic aerosol systems. In this paper, we extend the use of an EDB to examine the gas−particle partitioning of volatile to semivolatile alcohols, including methanol, n-butanol, n-octanol, and n-decanol, on levitated oleic acid particles. The measured K p agreed with Pankow’s absorptive partitioning model. At high n-butanol vapor concentrations (103 ppm), the uptake of n-butanol reduced the average molecular-weight of the oleic acid particle appreciably and hence increased the K p according to Pankow’s equation. Moreover, the hygroscopicity of mixed oleic acid/n-butanol particles was higher than the predictions given by the UNIFAC model (molecular group contribution method) and the ZSR equation (additive rule), presumably due to molecular interactions between the chemical species in the mixed particles. Despite the high vapor concentrations used, these findings warrant further research on the partitioning of atmospheric organic vapors (K p) near sources and how collectively they affect the hygroscopic properties of organic aerosols.
ISSN:0013-936X
1520-5851
DOI:10.1021/es9018018