Kohlberg I., Boezer G., Greer W., Good R.
Institute for Defense Analyses, US
Keywords: bacteria, impact theory, scavenging, surface chem-istry, van der Waals
In this study, we develop the design parameters required to remove airborne biological particles by impact with scavenging aerosols. The conditions for capturing air-borne biological particles for a head-on collision are deter-mined as a function of each particle’s mass, radius, incident velocity, and modulus of elasticity, the attractive or repulsive force between them, and the binding energy created during impact. Estimates of the radii of bacteria particles that can be captured are determined as a function of the material parame-ters, binding energy, and kinetic energy of the interacting particles. Surface chemistry approaches for creating desired scavenger materials are identified. Molecular simulations of the interaction between the scavenger and bacteria particles offer a cost-effective manner of computing such factors. Designing surface chemistry to strengthen the boundary inter-actions is crucial to maximizing scavenger capability. Weak van der Waals and pair-wise electrostatic interactions may not be sufficient to capture particles with an upper range of kinetic energy.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: 2, Technical Proceedings of the 2002 International Conference on Computational Nanoscience and Nanotechnology
Published: April 22, 2002
Pages: 68 - 72
Industry sectors: Energy & Sustainability | Medical & Biotech
Topics: Biofuels & Bioproducts, Sustainable Materials
ISBN: 0-9708275-6-3