Dans le cadre de la combustion des moteurs aéronautiques, des injecteurs de type airblast sont utilisés. Un fort écoulement d’air va perturber le carburant qui est ainsi pulvérisé en fines gouttes dans la chambre de combustion. La modélisation de ce phénomène nécessite une compréhension plus approfondie des mécanismes intervenant lors de l’interaction des deux fluides et en particulier l’influence des conditions limites. Le travail réalisé au cours de cette thèse s’inscrit dans cette problématique en étudiant expérimentalement l’influence des épaisseurs des écoulements, de la configuration de l’écoulement d’air ainsi que celle de l’ajout et de la taille d’une zone de pré-film.La mise au point ou le perfectionnement de techniques de mesures ont ainsi été nécessaires afin de caractériser le processus d’atomisation. Des mesures de fréquence d’oscillation, de longueur de rupture, d’épaisseur liquide et de tailles de gouttes ont été réalisées permettant de mettre en évidence l’influence des différents paramètres précédemment cités. Des corrélations ont ensuite été proposées afin de prévoir l’évolution du processus en fonction des conditions limites du système d’injection. / In the context of combustion for aeronautical engines, airblast injectors are used. A strong air flow perturbs the fuel, which is atomized in fine drops in combustion chamber. Modeling of this process requires a better understanding of mechanisms occurring during two fluid interaction and in particular boundary condition influence. The work realize during this PhD thesis corresponds to this problematic by studying flow thickness and air flow configuration influences as well as the one of the presence and the length of a prefilming zone.Development and improvement measure techniques have been necessary in order to characterize atomization process. Oscillation frequency, breakup length, liquid thickness and drop size measures have been realized what has enabled to highlight the influence of previously listed parameters. Correlations have been then proposed so as to predict process evolution according to boundary conditions of injection system.

Este trabalho investigou a deposição dos filmes finos de ferritas de lantânio dopado com estrôncio e cobalto La1-xSrxCo1-yFeyO3-δ (LSCF) através da técnica de spray pirólise empregando precursores inorgânicos e silício como substrato. Foram utilizados água e etanol na proporção de (3:1) como solvente na preparação da solução a ser aspergida. As deposições foram realizadas em diferentes temperaturas: 130ºC, 150ºC, 170ºC e 200ºC. Os filmes de LSCF antes e após o tratamento térmico foram analisados por difração de raios X (DRX) e microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV). O spray de deposição dos filmes em função das soluções com diferentes proporções de etanol (0%, 50%, 75% e 100%) foi investigado utilizado uma câmera rápida de alta resolução e um laser com comprimento de onda 532 nm. Os resultados evidenciaram que a temperatura de ebulição do solvente e de deposição são parâmetros importantes na determinação da morfologia dos filmes. Maiores teores de etanol promovem um aumento nos valores do ângulo de cone e que a propriedade da tensão superficial exerce significativamente maior influência nos aspectos que envolvem a estrutura do spray, a atomização do líquido, formação de gotas e no ponto de ruptura das soluções Os resultados de DRX apresentaram a fase cristalina majoritária de LSCF após o tratamento térmico a 750°C por 2 horas e a fase secundária de La2O3. As imagens de MEV evidenciaram a formação de filmes para as distâncias de deposição de 120 mm, embora apenas na temperatura de 200°C apresentasse uma estrutura porosa antes e após o tratamento térmico. A presença de interdifusão e microporosidade foi observada para esse filme. Para as diferentes composições de LSCF nas condições de 120 mm e a 200°C, apenas as composições de La1-xSrxCo0,2Fe0,8 com x = 0,6, 0,9 e 0,7 apresentaram estrutura porosa após o tratamento térmico. O filme de La0,8Sr0,2Co0,2Fe0,8 apresentou maior condutividade iônica/elétrica e energia de ativação. A presença de fases secundárias (La2O3, SrO2 e La2CoO3) contribuiu para a redução da condutividade elétrica e iônica e a energia de ativação. / This work investigated the deposition conditions of thin lanthanum ferrite films doped with strontium and cobalt – La1-xSrxCo1-yFeyO3-δ (LSCF) through the spray pyrolysis technique using inorganic precursors and silicon as a substrate. Water and ethanol were used in the proportion (3:1) as solvent in the preparation of the solution to be sprinkled. The depositions were carried out at different temperatures: 130°C, 150°C, 170°C and 200°C. The films of LSCF were analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy before and after thermal treatment. The XRD results showed the obtainment of crystalline phase of LSCF after thermal treatment at 750°C/2hours and secondary phase of La2O3. The sprays of solutions with different proportions of ethanol (0%, 50%, 75% and 100%) were analyzed using a fast high-resolution camera and a laser with a wavelength of 532nm.The results showed those deposition temperature and solvente boiling points are important parameters to determine the thin morphology Higher ethanol levels promote an increase in the cone angle values and that the property of the surface tension exerts significantly greater influence on issues involving the structure of the spray, the atomization of the liquid, the droplets formation and the breaking point of the solutions. The XRD results showed the obtainment of majority crystalline phase of LSCF after thermal treatment at 750°C/2 hours with the presence of secondary phase of La2O3. The SEM images showed formation of films for the distance of 120 mm, although only at the temperature of 200°C it presents porous morphology before and after thermal treatment. The presence of interdiffusion and microporosity was observed for this film. For different LSCF compositions under the conditions of 120 mm and 200°C, the films of La1-xSrx Co0,2Fe0,8 with x = 0,6; 0,9 and 0,7 presented porous morphology after thermal treatment. Otherwise, the film of La0,8Sr0,2Co0,2Fe0,8 showed the highest ionic/electrical conductivity. The presence of secondary phase (La2O3, SrO2 and La2CoO3) evidenced by XRD promoted a decrease in ionic/electrical conductivity and in the activation energy.

Submitted by LUTH SILVA RAMOS null (lutherair@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-03-29T19:49:44Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertação Luth Ramos 2017 Final.pdf: 2110056 bytes, checksum: 5f14af4841d2cf0a501f307108e2e0b2 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-03-30T18:14:10Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 ramos_ls_me_guara.pdf: 2110056 bytes, checksum: 5f14af4841d2cf0a501f307108e2e0b2 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-03-30T18:14:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 ramos_ls_me_guara.pdf: 2110056 bytes, checksum: 5f14af4841d2cf0a501f307108e2e0b2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-01-26 / A escassez de combustíveis de origem fóssil tem preocupado setores energéticos e industriais. Outra preocupação eminente são as taxas de emissões de poluentes na atmosfera, causado pelo processo de combustão. Estes processos são responsáveis por grande parte de toda energia primária produzida no mundo. Sendo assim, os bicombustíveis tem sido uma alternativa que atende ambas as preocupações. Neste cenário, a atomização também assume uma importante função dentro da combustão de líquidos. O atomizador tem por objetivo desintegrar o combustível líquido em pequenas gotículas, misturando-se com o oxidante na proporção correta e nas condições adequadas, para produzir um processo de combustão eficiente e estável, reduzindo significativamente as formações de fuligens. O objetivo deste trabalho é realizar um estudo teórico de um atomizador do tipo jato-Y, para atomizar misturas de combustíveis com diferentes proporções de QAV-1 + farnesano, QAV-1 + etanol e farnesano + etanol, analisando experimentalmente as propriedades físico-químicas das misturas de combustíveis e teoricamente as características e a qualidade do spray gerado, fazendo uso da equação de Wigg para calcular o MMD (diâmetro médio de gotas). Através das propriedades físico-químicas das misturas de combustíveis é possível analisar possíveis alternativas de combustíveis que podem apresentar características “drop-in” e substitua parcialmente ou definitivamente o QAV-1 (querosene de aviação) atualmente consumido. Qualitativamente o spray gerado possui o MMD entre 30 e 40 µm, podendo variar de acordo com a temperatura de trabalho. Sendo assim o atomizador torna-se favorável para um processo de combustão eficiente. / The scarcity of fossil fuels has worried the energetic and industrials sectors. Concern also exists about emissions and their impact on the environment, which are a byproduct of the petroleum combustion processes. These processes account for much of the primary energy produced in the world. However, biofuels have been an alternative that meets both concerns. In this scenario, the atomization also assumes an important function in the combustion of liquids. The atomizer has goal to disintegrate the liquid fuel in small droplets to have the mixture of fuel/oxidant in the suitable ratio, to produce an efficient and stable combustion process, significantly reducing the formation of soot. The objective of this work is perform a theoretical study of one nozzle of the type Y-jet, to atomize binary mix of fuels with different ratio of jet-A1 + farnesane, jet-A1 + ethanol and farnesane + ethanol, experimentally analyzing the physicochemical properties of the mixtures of fuels and theoretically the characteristics and quality of the formed spray, using the Wigg’s equation to calculate the MMD (Mass Median Diameter). Through of the physicochemical properties of the mixtures of fuels, it’s possible to analyze possible alternatives of fuel that may have “drop-in” characteristics and partially or definitively to replace the currently consumed jet-A1 fuel. Qualitatively the formed spray has the MMD between 30 e 40 µm, however can be varied according with the temperature of work. Furthermore, the nozzle is favorable to an efficient combustion process.

FundaÃÃo Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Cientifico e TecnolÃgico / Atualmente, ocorre um crescimento mundial da preferÃncia dos consumidores pelos alimentos que contÃm ingredientes naturais. Em relaÃÃo aos pigmentos, ainda hà certa dificuldade na utilizaÃÃo de corantes naturais na indÃstria alimentÃcia, pois estes apresentam menor estabilidade que os corantes sintÃticos. Com o objetivo de aumentar a estabilidade e a utilizaÃÃo dos corantes naturais como ingredientes alimentÃcios, aplicou-se aos mesmos, a tÃcnica de microencapsulaÃÃo por atomizaÃÃo. Os corantes utilizados foram bixina, pigmento lipossolÃvel do urucum, fruto do urucuzeiro (Bixa orellana L.) e antocianinas, pigmentos hidrossolÃveis do aÃaÃ, fruto do aÃaizeiro (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), com os agentes encapsulantes goma arÃbica, goma do cajueiro e maltodextrina, em diferentes formulaÃÃes. Testes de umidade, solubilidade e cristalinidade foram executados, bem como a microscopia eletrÃnica, para observaÃÃo da morfologia das microcÃpsulas. AtravÃs da colorimetria, os pigmentos naturais microencapsulados foram estudados em diferentes apresentaÃÃes, ou seja, dissolvidos em soluÃÃo-tampÃo pH 4,0 e na forma de pÃs. Na referida soluÃÃo-tampÃo utilizou-se tambÃm o extrato puro de antocianinas como testemunha. Verificou-se entÃo, a estabilidade ao longo do tempo das formulaÃÃes descritas, em temperatura ambiente de 25ÂC  1ÂC na presenÃa (450h) e ausÃncia (1400h) da luz. A degradaÃÃo dos pigmentos microencapsulados ocorreu mais rapidamente na luz. A goma do cajueiro mostrou-se como bom encapsulante e sendo um abundante recurso natural do Cearà poderà ser utilizado como substituto da goma arÃbica, cujo custo de importaÃÃo à elevado. / Nowadays, there is a world increase in the consumerâs preference for food that contains natural ingredients. As it comes to pigments, there is still a difficulty in the utilization of natural pigments on the food industry, because these have less stability than the synthetic ones. With the objective of increasing the stability and the utilization of natural pigments as food ingredients, they were submitted to microencapsulation by atomization. The utilized pigments were bixin, a liposoluble pigment from urucum (Bixa orellana L.) and anthocyanins, water soluble pigments from aÃaà (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), combined with encapsulating agents (arabic gum, cashew tree gum and maltodextrin), in different formulations. Moisture, solubility and crystallinity tests were executed, as well as scanning electronic microscopy, in order to observe the microcapsules morphology. The microencapsulated natural pigments were studied by calorimetry in different presentations, that is, they were dissolved in a pH 4,0 buffer-solution and as powders. In the referred buffer-solution, a pure anthocyanin extract was used as a control. Then, the stability of the described formulations were evaluated through time, at room temperature of 23ÂC  1ÂC, with and without light exposure. The microencapsulated natural pigments degeneration occurred faster under light. The cashew tree gum proved to be a good encapsulating agent and, since it is an abundant natural resource in CearÃ, it can be utilized to replace arabic gum, whose importation cost is high.

Os objetivos do estudo foram elaborar iogurtes com a cultura tradicional e a cultura probiótica de Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis, desidratar os produtos em spray dryer utilizando maltodextrina como carreador e caracterizar os pós obtidos, bem como determinar a resistência dos probióticos ao processo de atomização. O presente estudo avaliou três temperaturas de entrada do ar de secagem (130, 150 e 170°C) em iogurtes com duas diferentes concentrações de maltodextrina (10 e 20%), totalizando 6 tratamentos: T1 (10%malto/130°C), T2 (20%malto/130°C), T3 (10%malto/150°C), T4 (20%malto/150°C), T5 (10%malto/170°C) e T6 (20%malto/170°C). A secagem do iogurte foi realizada em spray dryer piloto e a enumeração das células viáveis de Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis foi realizada através de plaqueamento em profundidade. Os pós apresentaram baixos valores de umidade e elevada higroscopicidade. A atividade de água (Aw) dos pós variou de 0,09 a 0,19 e aumentou após 30 dias de armazenamento, comprovando o caráter higroscópico dos pós obtidos. Verificou-se que após a desidratação dos iogurtes, apesar deles apresentarem contagens inferiores que os produtos integrais, ainda apresentaram contagens acima de 106 UFC/g, ou seja, ainda estavam dentro do limite estabelecido pela legislação para um produto ser considerado probiótico. Os tratamentos que passaram por maiores temperaturas durante o processamento de secagem (T5 e T6) foram os que tiveram maiores perdas de micro-organismos probióticos, sugerindo que as altas temperaturas exerceram forte influência na viabilidade dos probióticos. O T1 obteve maiores contagens do micro-organismo analisado, com contagens acima de 106 UFC/g, com até 60 dias de armazenamento, indicando ser o melhor tratamento entre os estudados, em relação à obtenção de um iogurte caprino probiótico em pó com maior período de vida de prateleira. De maneira geral, conclui-se que o processo de atomização possibilitou a obtenção de iogurte de leite de cabra em pó estável do ponto de vista microbiológico. Além disso, obteve-se um produto que pode ser uma alternativa para incrementar o consumo de leite de cabra, bem como o de probióticos. / The aim of this study was to develop yogurts with the traditional culture and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis probiotic culture, dehydrate products in spray drying using maltodextrin as a carrier and characterize the powders, as well as determining the resistance of probiotics to atomization process. The present study evaluated three different inlet air temperatures of spray dryer (130, 150 and 170°C) in yoghurts with two different maltodextrin concentrations (10 and 20%), totaling six treatments: T1 (10%malto/130°C), T2 (20%malto/130°C), T3 (10%malto/150°C), T4 (20%malto/150°C), T5 (10%malto/170°C) e T6 (20%malto/170°C). The yogurt drying was performed in a pilot spray dryer and the viable cells of Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis enumeration was performed by pour plate. The powders showed low levels of humidity and high hygroscopicity. The water activity (Aw) of the powders ranged from 0.09 to 0.19 and increased after 30 days of storage, showing the hygroscopic powders character. It was found that after yogurt dehydration, despite their counts were less than integral products, still had counts above 106 CFU/g, therefore were still within regulation limits for a product to be considered as probiotic. The treatments that have undergone higher temperatures during the drying process (T5 and T6) were those who had higher losses of probiotic microorganisms, suggesting that high temperatures had a strong influence on the viability of probiotics. The T1 (130°C/10%) obtained higher counts of the microorganism analyzed, with counts above 106 CFU/g, during 60 days of storage, indicating that is the best treatment among those studied in relation to obtaining a goat probiotic yoghurt powder with longer shelf life. In general, it is concluded that the atomization process allows the obtention of stable goat milk yogurt powder, in a microbiological point of view. Furthermore, it was obtained a product that can be an alternative for increasing the consumption of goat milk as well as probiotics.

La projection plasma de suspensions (SPS) est un procédé de revêtement de surface qui consiste à injecter une suspension (particules solides d’environ 1 μm ou moins, dispersées dans une phase liquide) dans un jet de plasma énergétique. Les particules sont chauffées, accélérées en direction d’un substrat, écrasées et soumises à une solidification très rapide (de l’ordre de 106 K.s-1). Couche après couche, un dépôt se forme en surface du substrat et lui apporte de nouvelles propriétés fonctionnelles. Cette variante de la projection plasma conventionnelle permet la fabrication de revêtements avec des épaisseurs plus fines de quelques dizaines de μm et une échelle microstructurale réduite, pouvant conduire à améliorer, par exemple, les performances de dureté ou de conductivité thermique des dépôts. Bien que ce procédé soit étudié depuis le milieu des années 1990 et connaisse un intérêt grandissant, les applications industrielles ne sont pas finalisées et leur développement nécessite d’être poursuivi. En effet, l’injection d’une suspension dans un jet thermique conduit à des phénomènes complexes tels que la fragmentation des gouttes de suspension ou encore l’évaporation de la phase liquide. A ce jour, ces mécanismes ne sont pas parfaitement compris et maîtrisés et méritent d’être étudiés pour comprendre les interactions de ces fines particules avec le plasma. Les travaux décrits dans ce mémoire s’intéressent au cas de la projection SPS de céramiques avec un atomiseur bi-fluide comme système d’injection. Deux matériaux ont été choisis : l’alumine, connue pour sa difficulté à être projetée conventionnellement et dont la formation de phases cristallines particulières constitue une source d’informations sur l’histoire thermique des particules, ainsi que l’yttrine, qui permet de confirmer les tendances observées pour l’alumine. Dans un premier temps, l’optimisation de l’injection de la suspension a été effectuée en travaillant sur deux axes. Le premier axe concerne la formulation des suspensions, qui a conduit à l’obtention, avec différentes phases liquides, de suspensions stables et dispersées, de propriétés parfaitement connues. De telles suspensions assurent une reproductibilité du procédé à ce niveau et limitent le bouchage du système d’injection. Le deuxième axe porte sur la conception mécanique en trois étapes d’un atomiseur pneumatique approprié au procédé SPS. Cette étude a commencé par la caractérisation d’une buse commerciale notamment par des tests d’injection de suspension dans le plasma. Les tests étant peu concluants, l’étude s’est poursuivie par la mise au point d’une nouvelle géométrie d’atomiseur inspirée du modèle commercial. Les essais ont conduit à la réalisation de cordons et de dépôts satisfaisants. Cette étude s’est terminée enfin par l’optimisation de sa géométrie grâce à la mise en évidence de l’influence de plusieurs paramètres-clé sur les caractéristiques du jet atomisé. Dans un second temps, des outils de diagnostic ont été mis en oeuvre pour mesurer la qualité de l’injection. Le jet de suspension a été caractérisé en termes de géométrie et de tailles de gouttes, respectivement par ombroscopie et diffraction laser. L’ombroscopie a été réutilisée pour l’optimisation de l’injection de la suspension dans le plasma en permettant le réglage en temps réel des pressions d’entrée de l’atomiseur. Les propriétés des particules en vol ont ensuite été étudiées grâce à des collectes de particules sur substrat et à la vélocimétrie par images de particules (PIV). Cet outil a apporté des informations complémentaires sur l’injection de la suspension. Enfin, les revêtements obtenus ont été caractérisés en termes de morphologie (MEB), taux de porosité (analyse d’images MEB et USAXS) et de phases cristallines (DRX et EBSD). Le couplage des informations obtenues entre ces différentes techniques a permis de faire ressortir le rôle de la phase liquide et de la charge massique sur la microstructure... / Suspension plasma spray (SPS) is a surface coating process that consists in injecting a suspension (solid particles of about 1 μm or less, dispersed in a liquid phase) in a high-energy plasma flow. Particles are heated, accelerated towards a substrate, flattened and submitted to a rapid solidification (order of 106 K.s-1). Layer after layer, a coating is formed on the substrate surface and brings new functional properties. This variation of the conventional plasma spray process allows the manufacturing of coatings with finer thickness of few tens of μm and a reduced structural scale that can lead to improved coating properties, like hardness or thermal conductivity. Even though this process has been studied since the middle of the 1990’S and known a fast-growing interest, industrial applications are not finalized and their development needs to be pursued. Indeed, the suspension injection in a thermal jet leads to complex phenomena such as suspension droplet fragmentation or liquid phase evaporation. Up to now, these mechanisms are not perfectly understood and controlled and deserve to be further studied to understand interactions between these fine particles and the plasma. This thesis focuses on the SPS process with ceramic suspensions and a twin-fluid nozzle as injection system. Two materials were chosen: alumina, known for its difficulty to be conventionally sprayed and whose crystalline phase formation represents a source of information about particle thermal history, and also yttria, in order to confirm the tendencies observed for alumina. Firstly, the suspension injection was optimized by working on two areas. The first area concerns suspension formulation. This led to obtain, with different liquid phases, stable and dispersed suspensions, whose properties are perfectly known. Such suspensions ensure reproducibility of the process at this level and limit the risk of injection system clogging. The second area is about the three-step mechanical conception of a pneumatic atomizer, adapted to the SPS process. This study began with the characterization of a commercial nozzle, in particular by testing the suspension injection into a plasma flow. Tests being little convincing, the study was carried on with the development of a new atomizer geometry, inspired from the commercial model. Trials drove to the manufacturing of satisfying spray beads and coatings. This study was finally completed with the optimization of this new geometry by highlighting the influence of several key parameters on the atomized jet features. Secondly, diagnostic tools were implemented to qualify the injection. Suspension jet was characterized in terms of geometry and droplet sizes, using respectively shadowgraphy and laser diffraction. Shadowgraphy was used again for optimizing the suspension injection into plasma by allowing the adjustment in real time of inlet atomizer pressures. In-flight particle properties were then studied thanks to particle collection onto a substrate and particle image velocimetry (PIV). This tool also provided additional information on the suspension injection. Finally, the resulting coatings were characterized in terms of morphology (SEM), porosity rate (SEM image analysis and USAXS) and crystalline phases (DRX and EBSD). The cross-checking of the information obtained with all these techniques brought out the role of the suspension liquid phase and of the mass load on the coating microstructure. These works contributed to enhance the knowledge about the SPS process and justified the use of a twin-fluid nozzle to obtain specific microstructures of coatings, whose functional characterizations have still to be done.

In this study, the supercritical antisolvent with enhanced mass transfer method (SASEM) is used to fabricate micro and nanoparticles of biocompatible and biodegradable polymer PLGA (poly DL lactide co glycolic acid). This process may be extended to the encapsulation of drugs in these micro and nanoparticles for controlled release purposes. Conventional supercritical antisolvent (SAS) process involves spraying a solution (organic solvent + dissolved polymer) into supercritical fluid (CO[subscript 2]), which acts as an antisolvent. The high rate of mass transfer between organic solvent and supercritical CO[subscript 2] results in supersaturation of the polymer in the spray droplet and precipitation of the polymer as micro or nanoparticles occurs. In the SASEM method, ultrasonic vibration is used to atomize the solution entering the high pressure with supercritical CO[subscript 2]. At the same time, the ultrasonic vibration generated turbulence in the high pressure vessel, leading to better mass transfer between the organic solvent and the supercritical CO₂. In this study, two organic solvents, acetone and dichloromethane (DCM) were used in the SASEM process. Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) was used to study the ultrasonic atomization of liquid using the ultrasonic probe for the SASEM process. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to study the size and morphology of the polymer particles collected at the end of the process. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

A new approach for the control of the size of particles fabricated using the Electrohydrodynamic Atomization (EHDA) method is being developed. In short, the EHDA process produces solution droplets in a controlled manner, and as the solvent evaporates from the surface of the droplets, polymeric particles are formed. By varying the voltage applied, the size of the droplets can be changed, and consequently, the size of the particles can also be controlled. By using both a nozzle electrode and a ring electrode placed axisymmetrically and slightly above the nozzle electrode, we are able to produce a Single Taylor Cone Single Jet for a wide range of voltages, contrary to just using a single nozzle electrode where the range of permissible voltage for the creation of the Single Taylor Cone Single Jet is usually very small. Phase Doppler Particle Analyzer (PDPA) test results have shown that the droplet size increases with increasing voltage applied. This trend is predicted by the electrohydrodynamic theory of the Single Taylor Cone Single Jet based on a perfect dielectric fluid model. Particles fabricated using different voltages do not show much change in the particles size, and this may be attributed to the solvent evaporation process. Nevertheless, these preliminary results do show that this method has the potential of providing us with a way of fine controlling the particles size using relatively simple method with trends predictable by existing theories. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

A real-time, mobile Scanning Electrical Mobility Spectrometer (SEMS) was designed using a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) and Differential Mobility Analyzer (DMA) to measure the size distribution of nanoparticles. The SEMS was calibrated using monodisperse Polystyrene Latex (PSL) particles, and was then applied to study the size distribution of TiO2 nanoparticle aerosols generated by spray drying water suspensions of the nanoparticles. The nanoparticle aerosol size distribution, the effect of surfactant, and the effect of residual solvent droplets were determined. The SEMS system was designed by integrating the Electrical System, the Fluid Flow System, and the SEMS Software. It was calibrated using aerosolized Polystyrene Latex (PSL) spheres with nominal diameters of 99 nm and 204 nm. TiO2 nanoparticle aerosols were generated by atomizing water suspensions of TiO2 nanoparticles using a Collison nebulizer. Size distribution of the TiO2 aerosol was measured by the SEMS, as well as by TEM. Furthermore, the effect of surfactant, Tween 20 at four different concentrations between 0.01mM and 0.80mM, and stability of aerosol concentration with time were studied. It was hypothesized that residual particles in DI water observed during the calibration process were a mixture of impurities in water and unevaporated droplets. Solid impurities were captured on TEM grids using a point-to-plane Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) and analyzed by Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) while the contribution of unevaporated liquid droplets to residual particles was confirmed by size distribution measurements of aerosolized DI water in different humidity conditions. The calibration indicated that the mode diameter was found to be at 92.5nm by TEM and 95.8nm by the SEMS for 99nm nominal diameter particles, a difference of 3.6%. Similarly, the mode diameter for 204nm nominal diameter particles was found to be 194.9nm by TEM and 191nm by SEMS, a difference of 2.0%. Measurements by SEMS for TiO2 aerosol generated by Collison nebulizer indicated the mode diameters of 3mM, 6mM, and 9mM concentrations of TiO2 suspension to be 197.5nm, 200.0nm and 195.2nm respectively. On the other hand, the mode diameter was found to be approximately 95nm from TEM analysis of TiO2 powder. Additionally, concentration of particles generated decreased with time. Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) measurements indicated agglomeration of particles in the suspension. Furthermore, the emulation of single particle distribution was not possible even after using Tween 20 in concentrations between 0.01mM and 0.80mM. From the study of residual particles in DI water, it was found that residual particles observed during the aerosolization of suspensions of DI water were composed of impurities present in DI water and unevaporated droplets of DI water. Although it was possible to observe solid residual particles on the TEM grid, EDS was not able to determine the chemical composition of these particles.

No description available.