UC Irvine

An exploded wire aerosol generator was evaluated using test aerosols derived from silver wires and results were compared with existing published information on exploded wire particles. Aerosol properties relevant to inhalation studies were emphasized. Primary particles were spherical, metallic, and distributed nearly lognormally by volume (geometric standard deviation about 1·5) with count median diameters between 0-05 and 0-008 μm. The primary particle size decreased as the explosion energy per unit mass of wire was increased. Primary particles rapidly formed agglomerates of up to hundreds of spherical units but an air blast aimed at and synchronized with the wire explosion was successful in reducing agglomeration. Agglomerate aerosols with submicron aerodynamic diameters were produced by rapidly diluting the explosion zone after the air blast. Agglomerates of 0-026 μm count median diameter primary particles had measured specific surfaces of 16-4 m3/g and solubility rate constants of 10 μg/cm2 per day in a lung fluid simulant containing protein. The relevance of exploded wire agglomerates to inhalation studies is briefly discussed. © 1972.