The kinetics of formation and growth of the nanometer-sized aerosol particl
es during tungsten hexacarbonyl (W(CO)(6)) vapour photolysis in air have be
en investigated. Special attention has been given to the research on the in
fluence of coagulation during the time interval (t(1)) between the moment t
he vapours leave the irradiation zone (i.e, generation of condensing produc
ts stops) and the moment particle concentration and size distribution are m
easured, Aerosol formation kinetics within the Smoluchowski coagulation mod
el in the clusters free-molecular collision regime was modelled numerically
. The rate of monomer formation F(t) was calculated for different rates of
W(CO)(6) photolysis at various t(1) values. Calculated values of F(t) were
in good agreement with measured W(CO)(6) photolysis rates W-phot. Particles
concentration and size were shown to be determined by irradiation dose D =
I/I-0 x t(0) (I/I-0 is relative irradiation intensity, t(0) is irradiation
time), when t(1) >> t(0). (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv
ed.