Kinetics of the photolytic production of aerosols from SO2 and NH3 in humid air

Peter Seier Christensen; Stig Wedel; Hans Livbjerg

doi:10.1016/S0009-2509(05)80044-2

Kinetics of the photolytic production of aerosols from SO₂ and NH₃in humid air

Peter Seier Christensen, Stig Wedel, Hans Livbjerg

Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Abstract

The reaction of SO₂and NH₃ in humid air to produce an aerosol of ammonium sulfate is studied in a photolytic laboratory reactor. The reaction is shown to be controlled by ultraviolet irradiation in the wavelength range of 240-330 nm and is initiated by excitation of SO₂. It is found that NH₃has a strong catalytic effect on the photolytic oxidation of SO₂ and surprisingly high values of the quantum yield are observed with NH₃ concentration in the range of 20-400 ppm. The reaction rate increases with decreasing temperature. An overall mechanism for the formation of aerosol particles is proposed. It is concluded that aerosol formation due to sunlight photolysis by this mechanism explains the high-opacity smoke formed in industrial stack plumes with small amounts of NH₃ and SO₂.

Original language	English
Journal	Chemical Engineering Science
Volume	49
Issue number	24 A
Pages (from-to)	4605-4614
ISSN	0009-2509
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0009-2509(05)80044-2
Publication status	Published - 1994

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title = "Kinetics of the photolytic production of aerosols from SO2 and NH3 in humid air",

abstract = "The reaction of SO2 and NH3 in humid air to produce an aerosol of ammonium sulfate is studied in a photolytic laboratory reactor. The reaction is shown to be controlled by ultraviolet irradiation in the wavelength range of 240-330 nm and is initiated by excitation of SO2. It is found that NH3 has a strong catalytic effect on the photolytic oxidation of SO2 and surprisingly high values of the quantum yield are observed with NH3 concentration in the range of 20-400 ppm. The reaction rate increases with decreasing temperature. An overall mechanism for the formation of aerosol particles is proposed. It is concluded that aerosol formation due to sunlight photolysis by this mechanism explains the high-opacity smoke formed in industrial stack plumes with small amounts of NH3 and SO2.",

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T1 - Kinetics of the photolytic production of aerosols from SO2 and NH3 in humid air

AU - Christensen, Peter Seier

AU - Wedel, Stig

AU - Livbjerg, Hans

PY - 1994

Y1 - 1994

N2 - The reaction of SO2 and NH3 in humid air to produce an aerosol of ammonium sulfate is studied in a photolytic laboratory reactor. The reaction is shown to be controlled by ultraviolet irradiation in the wavelength range of 240-330 nm and is initiated by excitation of SO2. It is found that NH3 has a strong catalytic effect on the photolytic oxidation of SO2 and surprisingly high values of the quantum yield are observed with NH3 concentration in the range of 20-400 ppm. The reaction rate increases with decreasing temperature. An overall mechanism for the formation of aerosol particles is proposed. It is concluded that aerosol formation due to sunlight photolysis by this mechanism explains the high-opacity smoke formed in industrial stack plumes with small amounts of NH3 and SO2.

AB - The reaction of SO2 and NH3 in humid air to produce an aerosol of ammonium sulfate is studied in a photolytic laboratory reactor. The reaction is shown to be controlled by ultraviolet irradiation in the wavelength range of 240-330 nm and is initiated by excitation of SO2. It is found that NH3 has a strong catalytic effect on the photolytic oxidation of SO2 and surprisingly high values of the quantum yield are observed with NH3 concentration in the range of 20-400 ppm. The reaction rate increases with decreasing temperature. An overall mechanism for the formation of aerosol particles is proposed. It is concluded that aerosol formation due to sunlight photolysis by this mechanism explains the high-opacity smoke formed in industrial stack plumes with small amounts of NH3 and SO2.

U2 - 10.1016/S0009-2509(05)80044-2

DO - 10.1016/S0009-2509(05)80044-2

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0009-2509

VL - 49

SP - 4605

EP - 4614

JO - Chemical Engineering Science

JF - Chemical Engineering Science

IS - 24 A