Measurement of mass of aerosol particles

Abstract

An aerosol particle mass analyzer (APM) which classifies aerosol particles according to their mass has been developed. Mass distributions of aerosol particles can be measured by the APM combined with a particle counting device. Particle mass that can be measured in this way ranges from 3×10-18 g to 2×10-12 g, which partially fills the mass range that is not covered by existing mass measuring instruments (e.g., mass spectrometers and conventional balances). The introduction of the APM has led to various new techniques for evaluating aerosol particle properties such as effective and true densities, porosities, fractal dimensions, and mass concentrations of suspended particulates. This article describes the principle of the APM and how it differs from other instruments for classifying aerosol particles. The article also describes the significance of measuring aerosol particle mass and the course of events that led to commercialization of the APM from the viewpoint of "synthesiology." キーワード：エアロゾル粒子、粒子質量、質量分布測定、エアロゾル粒子質量分析器 Keywords：Aerosol particles, particle mass, mass distribution measurement, aerosol particle mass analyzer