Nebulizers aerosol velocity

For aerosols in which the particle velocity is determined by the inspiratory flow rate and the particle size is not sensitive to it, it is expected that the increase in flow rate increases the upper and central airway deposition. For example, Ryan et al. [90] found that fast vital capacity inhalation resulted in a greater proportion of nebulizer aerosol depositing in the central airways than when the aerosol was inhaled slowly. However, the dependence on the inspiratory flow rate becomes more subtle when the particles have intrinsic velocity (such as droplets generated by propellant-driven metered-dose inhalers that need to be entrained into the inhaled air) or the particle size is inspiratory flow dependent (as in the case of passive dry powder inhalers). 

An example of the measurement of a commercial nebulizer aerosol is shown in Figure 9. The histogram of size and velocity is shown in Figure 9a with the associated mean sizes and velocities. Figure 9b shows the histogram and cumulative distribution of number and volume, while Figure 9c portrays the size-velocity correlation of the flow. 

As a first stage, the stream of liquid from an HPLC eluant is passed through a narrow tube toward the LINC interface. Near the end of the tube, the liquid stream is injected with helium gas so that it leaves the end of the tube as a high-velocity spray of small drops of liquid mixed with helium. From there, the mixture enters an evacuation chamber (Figure 12.1). The formation of spray (nebulizing) is very similar to that occurring in the action of aerosol spray cans (see Chapter 19). 

In pneumatic nebulizers, the relative velocity of gas and liquid first induces a reduction in pressure above the surface of the liquid (see the calculation in Figure 19.4). The reduction in pressure is sufficient to cause liquids to flow out of capillary tubes, in accord with Poiseuille s formula (Figure 19.5). As the relative velocity of a liquid and a gas increases — particularly if the mass of liquid is small — this partial vacuum and rapid flow cause the surface of the liquid to be broken into droplets. An aerosol is formed. 

In a concentric-tube nebulizer, the sample solution is drawn through the inner capillary by the vacuum created when the argon gas stream flows over the end (nozzle) at high linear velocity. As the solution is drawn out, the edges of the liquid forming a film over the end of the inner capillary are blown away as a spray of droplets and solvent vapor. This aerosol may pass through spray and desolvation chambers before reaching the plasma flame. 

This arrangement provides a thin film of liquid sample solution flowing down to a narrow orifice (0.007-cm diameter) through which argon flows at high linear velocity (volume flow is about 0.5-1 1/min). A fine aerosol is produced. This particular nebulizer is efficient for solutions having a high concentration of analyte constituents. 

For a longitudinal disturbance of wavelength 12 pm, the droplets have a mean diameter of about 3-4 pm. These very fine droplets are ideal for ICP/MS and can be swept into the plasma flame by a flow of argon gas. Unlike pneumatic forms of nebulizer in which the relative velocities of the liquid and gas are most important in determining droplet size, the flow of gas in the ultrasonic nebulizer plays no part in the formation of the aerosol and serves merely as the droplet carrier. 

The commonest form of sample introduction is by means of an aerosol generated using a pneumatic nebulizer. Several types of nebulizer can be used. All-glass concentric nebulizers (Fig. 4.7a) operate in a similar manner to those used for FAAS. Cross-flow nebulizers (Fig. 4.7b) operate by directing a high-velocity stream of gas across the mouth of a capillary... 

From ( . H. Clifford. I. Ishii, A. Montaser, and G. A. Meyer, "Droplet-Size and Velocity Distributions of Aerosols from Commonly Used Nebulizers, Anal. Chem. 1990,62.390.]... 

A basic understanding of the nebulizer function and the types of nebulizers is necessary to successfully interface CE to the ICP-MS. Nebulization, as previously described, is the process to form an aerosol, i.e., to suspend a liquid sample into a gas in the form of a cloud of droplets. The quality of any nebulizer is based on many different parameters including mean droplet diameter, droplet size distribution, span of droplet size distribution, droplet number density, and droplet mean velocity. There are numerous nebulizers commercially available for the use with ICP-MS systems, and their detailed description can be found elsewhere.Pneumatic designs, both concentric and cross flow, are the most popular for CE interfaces with the occasional use of the ultrasonic nebulizer (USN). Figure 2 shows some typical nebulizers. The pneumatic nebulizer is either a concentric design (Fig. 2A), where both the gas stream and the liquid flow in... 

Sample Introduction Samples can be introduced into the ICP by argon flowing at about 1 L/min through the central quartz tube. The sample can be an aerosol, a thermally generated vapor, or a fine powder. The most common means of sample introduction is the concentric glass nebulizer shown in Figure 28-9. The sample is transported to the tip by the Bernoulli effect. This transport process is called aspiration. The high-velocity gas breaks up the liquid into fine droplets of various sizes, which are then carried into the plasma. 

In the analysis of solutions, pneumatic nebulization and then the introduction of the aerosol into the source are already well known from the early work on flame emission spectrometry. Pneumatic nebulizers must enable a fine aerosol to be produced, which leads to a high efficiency, and the gas flow used must be low enough to transport the droplets of the aerosol through the source with a low velocity. The production of fine droplets and the use of low gas flows are essential to obtaining complete atomization in the source. 

After solvent removal the aerosols produced from slurries deliver solid particles, the diameters of which are those of the powder particles. In slurry nebulization used for flame work or plasma spectrometry, they are injected with a velocity that is less than or equal to the nebulizer gas atom velocities, as viscosity drag forces are responsible for their entrainment into the ICP. The velocity of the gas atoms (vG) can be calculated from the gas temperature at the location considered (TG), the injection velocity (vi) and the temperature at the point of injection (T), as vG = Vi x TG/Ti and the acceleration of particles (d2z/dt2) as a result of the viscosity drag forces is ... 

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