Deposition of ultrasonic nebulized aerosols onto a hydrophilic surface

Abstract

The effect of chemical treatment of a metallic substrate on the deposition of aerosols generated by an ultrasonic nebulizer was investigated. A single substrate with areas having different “level” of hydrophilicity (or hydrophobicity) was used as a model surface. The treated (more hydrophilic) area became more negatively-charged based on a surface electric potential meter. A low-pressure analysis method (electron-microscope image) and ordinary pressure methods (Raman spectroscopy and X-ray fluorescence) analytical results indicated that in comparison with the untreated area, the treated area trapped more particles in the case of the deposition of “wet” aerosols. In the case of the deposition of more “dry” aerosols, the untreated area trapped more particles rather than that of the treated one. The efficiency of particles deposition not only depended on the degree of hydrophilicity (or hydrophobicity) of the surface but also due to the conditions (wet or dry) of incoming aerosols.