ABSTRACT
In this study, we designed and constructed an experimental laboratory apparatus to measure the uptake of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) by soot particles. Results for the uptake of naphthalene (C10H8) by soot particles typical of those found in the exhaust of an aircraft engine are reported in this paper. The naphthalene concentration in the gas phase and naphthalene attached to the particles were measured simultaneously by a heated flame ionization detector (HFID) and a time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (ToF AMS), respectively. The uptake coefficient for naphthalene on soot of (1.11 ± 0.06) × 10(-5) at 293 K was determined by fitting the HFID and AMS measurements of gaseous and particulate naphthalene to a kinetic model of uptake. When the gaseous concentration of naphthalene is kept below the saturation limit during these experiments, the uptake of naphthalene can be considered the dry mass accommodation coefficient.