Trapping and aerogelation of nanoparticles in negative gravity hydrocarbon flames

We report the experimental realization of continuous carbon aerogel production using a flame aerosol reactor by operating it in negative gravity (−g; up-side-down configuration). Buoyancy opposes the fuel and air flow forces in −g, which eliminates convectional outflow of nanoparticles from the flame and traps them in a distinctive non-tipping, flicker-free, cylindrical flame body, where they grow to millimeter-size aerogel particles and gravitationally fall out. Computational fluid dynamics simulations show that a closed-loop recirculation zone is set up in −g flames, which reduces the time to gel for nanoparticles by ≈10[superscript 6] s, compared to positive gravity (upward rising) flames. Our results open up new possibilities of one-step gas-phase synthesis of a wide variety of aerogels on an industrial scale

An Inverted Co-Flow Diffusion Flame for Producing Soot

We developed an inverted, co-flow, methane/air/nitrogen burner that generates a wide range of soot particles sizes and concentrations. By adjusting the flow rates of air, methane, and nitrogen in the fuel, the mean electric mobility diameter and number concentration are varied. Additional dilution downstream of the flame allows us to generate particle concentrations spanning those produced by spark-ignited and diesel engines: particles with mean diameters between 50 and 250 nm and number concentrations from 4.7 {center_dot} 10{sup 4} to 10{sup 7} cm{sup -3}. The range of achievable number concentrations, and therefore volume concentrations, can be increased by a factor of 30 by reducing the dilution ratio. These operating conditions make this burner valuable for developing and calibrating diagnostics as well as for other studies involving soot particles

Quantitative laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of potassium for in-situ geochronology on Mars

Laser-inducedbreakdownspectroscopy is explored for the development of an in-situ K–Ar geochronology instrument for Mars. Potassium concentrations in standard basaltic glasses and equivalent rock samples in their natural form are quantified using the potassium doublet at 766.49 and 769.90 nm. Measurement precision varies from 0.5 to 5.5 (% RSD) over the 3.63% to 0.025% potassium by weight for the standard samples, and little additional precision is achieved above 20 laser shots at 5 locations. For the glass standards, the quantification limits are 920 and 66 ppm for non-weighted and weighted calibration methods, respectively. For the basaltic rocks, the quantification limits are 2650 and 328 ppm for the non-weighted and weighted calibration methods, respectively. The heterogeneity of the rock samples leads to larger variations in potassium signal; however, normalizing the potassium peak by base area at 25 locations on the rock improved calibration accuracy. Including only errors in LIBS measurements, estimated age errors for the glasses range from approximately ± 30 Ma for 3000 Ma samples to ± 2 Ma for 100 Ma samples. For the basaltic rocks, the age errors are approximately ± 120 Ma for 3000 Ma samples and ± 8 Ma for 100 Ma samples

Soot particle disintegration and detection using two laser ELFFS

A two laser technique is used to study laser-particle interactions and the disintegration of soot by high power UV light. Two separate 20 ns laser pulses irradiate combustion generated soot nanoparticles with 193 nm photons. The first laser pulse, from 0 to 14.7 J/cm{sup 2}, photofragments the soot particles and electronically excites the liberated carbon atoms. The second laser pulse, held constant at 13 J/cm{sup 2}, irradiates the remaining particle fragments and other products of the first laser pulse. The atomic carbon fluorescence at 248 nm produced by the first laser pulse increases linearly with laser fluence from 1 to 6 J/cm{sup 2}. At higher fluences, the signal from atomic carbon signal saturates. The carbon fluorescence from the second laser pulse decreases as the fluence from the first laser increases, ultimately approaching zero as first laser fluence approaches 10 J/cm{sup 2}, suggesting that the particles fully disintegrate at high laser fluences. We use an energy balance parameter, called the photon-atom ratio (PAR), to aid in understanding laser-particle interactions. These results help define the regimes where photofragmentation fluorescence methods quantitatively measure total soot concentrations

Nanoparticle production by UV irradiation of combustion generated soot particles

Laser ablation of surfaces normally produce high temperature plasmas that are difficult to control. By irradiating small particles in the gas phase, we can better control the size and concentration of the resulting particles when different materials are photofragmented. Here, we irradiate soot with 193 nm light from an ArF excimer laser. Irradiating the original agglomerated particles at fluences ranging from 0.07 to 0.26 J/cm{sup 2} with repetition rates of 20 and 100 Hz produces a large number of small, unagglomerated particles, and a smaller number of spherical agglomerated particles. Mean particle diameters from 20 to 50 nm are produced from soot originally having a mean electric mobility diameter of 265nm. We use a non-dimensional parameter, called the photon/atom ratio (PAR), to aid in understanding the photofragmentation process. This parameter is the ratio of the number of photons striking the soot particles to the number of the carbon atoms contained in the soot particles, and is a better metric than the laser fluence for analyzing laser-particle interactions. These results suggest that UV photofragmentation can be effective in controlling particle size and morphology, and can be a useful diagnostic for studying elements of the laser ablation process

Nanoparticle production by UV irradiation of combustion generated soot particles

Laser ablation of surfaces normally produce high temperature plasmas that are difficult to control. By irradiating small particles in the gas phase, we can better control the size and concentration of the resulting particles when different materials are photofragmented. Here, we irradiate soot with 193 nm light from an ArF excimer laser. Irradiating the original agglomerated particles at fluences ranging from 0.07 to 0.26 J/cm{sup 2} with repetition rates of 20 and 100 Hz produces a large number of small, unagglomerated particles, and a smaller number of spherical agglomerated particles. Mean particle diameters from 20 to 50 nm are produced from soot originally having a mean electric mobility diameter of 265nm. We use a non-dimensional parameter, called the photon/atom ratio (PAR), to aid in understanding the photofragmentation process. This parameter is the ratio of the number of photons striking the soot particles to the number of the carbon atoms contained in the soot particles, and is a better metric than the laser fluence for analyzing laser-particle interactions. These results suggest that UV photofragmentation can be effective in controlling particle size and morphology, and can be a useful diagnostic for studying elements of the laser ablation process