Surface fractal dimension, water adsorption efficiency, and cloud nucleation activity of insoluble aerosol.

ABSTRACT: Surface porosity affects the ability of a substance to adsorb gases. The surface fractal dimension D is a measure that indicates the amount that a surface fills a space, and can thereby be used to characterize the surface porosity. Here we propose a new method for determining D, based on measuring both the water vapour adsorption isotherm of a given substance, and its ability to act as a cloud condensation nucleus when introduced to humidified air in aerosol form. We show that our method agrees well with previous methods based on measurement of nitrogen adsorption. Besides proving the usefulness of the new method for general surface characterization of materials, our results show that the surface fractal dimension is an important determinant in cloud drop formation on water insoluble parti

SUBMITTER: Laaksonen A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4853788 | biostudies-literature | 2016 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature