Sub-micron particle sampler apparatus

Patent · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:866297

Gay, Don D ^[1]; McMillan, William G ^[2]

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1. Aiken, SC
2. Ulmers, SC

Apparatus and method steps for collecting sub-micron sized particles include a collection chamber and cryogenic cooling. The cooling is accomplished by coil tubing carrying nitrogen in liquid form, with the liquid nitrogen changing to the gas phase before exiting from the collection chamber in the tubing. Standard filters are used to filter out particles of diameter greater than or equal to 0.3 microns; however the present invention is used to trap particles of less than 0.3 micron in diameter. A blower draws air to said collection chamber through a filter which filters particles with diameters greater than or equal to 0.3 micron. The air is then cryogenically cooled so that moisture and sub-micron sized particles in the air condense into ice on the coil. The coil is then heated so that the ice melts, and the liquid is then drawn off and passed through a Buchner funnel where the liquid is passed through a Nuclepore membrane. A vacuum draws the liquid through the Nuclepore membrane, with the Nuclepore membrane trapping sub-micron sized particles therein. The Nuclepore membrane is then covered on its top and bottom surfaces with sheets of Mylar.RTM. and the assembly is then crushed into a pellet. This effectively traps the sub-micron sized particles for later analysis.

• Research Organization: E I DUPONT DE NEMOURS & CO INC
• DOE Contract Number: AC09-76SR00001
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC) [*] Notice: portion of term of this patent subsequent to July 23, 2002 has been disclaimed.
• Patent Number(s): US 4677863
• OSTI ID: 866297
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

sub-micron
particle
sampler
apparatus
method
steps
collecting
sized
particles
collection
chamber
cryogenic
cooling
accomplished
coil
tubing
carrying
nitrogen
liquid
form
changing
gas
phase
exiting
standard
filters
filter
diameter
equal
microns
trap
micron
blower
draws
air
diameters
cryogenically
cooled
moisture
condense
ice
heated
melts
drawn
passed
buchner
funnel
nuclepore
membrane
vacuum
trapping
therein
covered
top
bottom
surfaces
sheets
mylar
rtm
assembly
crushed
pellet
effectively
traps
analysis
cryogenic cooling
cryogenically cooled
bottom surfaces
sized particles
gas phase
bottom surface
collection chamber
sub-micron sized
liquid form
liquid nitrogen
sampler apparatus
method steps
particles therein
micron size
draws air
coil tubing
collecting sub-micron
effectively traps
tubing carrying
trap particles
micron sized
particle sampler
sub-micron particle
carrying nitrogen
/73/55/62/422/436/