Aerosol generation to simulate specific industrial fine particle effluents

Techniques were developed for generating large quantities of fine particle metal oxide aerosols. The aerosols were generated by burning flammable solutions containing appropriate soluble compounds (nitrates, for example) of the desired elements. In the flame these compounds generally decomposed to oxides. The generated aerosol flow rates were as high as 42 m3 per minute (1500 cfm); the mass concentrations were as high as 16.8 g per m3 at STP. For most aerosols the particle concentrations were of the order of 10(9) particles per cm3. Electron microscopic pictures (SEM and TEM) of precipitated particles show that many of the larger particles (20 microm) are hollow and that the smaller particles (0.01 microm) are aggregated. Specific aerosols were generated to simulate the fine particulate effluents generated by combustion of pulverized coal (electricity generation) electric arc and basic oxygen furnaces (iron and steel production) and zinc smelters. Methods were developed to vary the sulfur dioxide concentration and the electrical resistivities of the simulants for coal combustion.