Electrospray Atomization of Electrolytic Solutions

Abstract

Results of experiments on droplet production by electrospray atomization of electrolytic solutions are described. The spray results from the formation of liquid droplets at the tip of a Taylor cone. These experiments using sodium iodide dissolved in n-propyl alcohol show that as the solution concentration increases, the volumetric flow rate decreases, the electrical current increases, and the aerosol size distribution of the solid residue particles shifts to smaller sizes, a counter-intuitive result which occurs because the atomized droplet size decreases with increasing specific electrical conductivity of the solution. There is no complete analytical description of the electrospray but some analytical insights will be discussed regarding the behavior of its three distinct yet interacting parts: the Taylor cone, the jet, and the charged droplet spray.