UCLA Chemical Engineering: Research Centers

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING UCLA

Center for Airborne Particles

A new Center for Airborne Particles has been established at UCLA with the support of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Center is funded at a level of $8.7million over a five-year period. Additional funds for related research are provided by the California Air Resources Board. The UCLA Institute of the Environment, which sponsors the Center, is a multidisciplinary group that includes participants from the Schools of engineering, Public Health and Medicine and the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. Although the Center headquarters is at UCLA, there are participants from several other universities, including USC, UC Riverside, Caltech and UC Irvine. A major goal of the new Center is to characterize atmospheric aerosols, relate them to sources, man-made and natural, and in collaboration with health scientists determine the mechanism(s) for the adverse health effects associated with fine particles.

The Chemical Engineering Department is an active participant in the Center. Professor Friedlander's group is developing novel methods of characterizing ultrafine particles, that is, particles smaller that about 100 nanometers (nm). Special gas sampling methods are required; particles are characterized using electron microscopy. For agglomerate structures the morphology is often described using fractal concepts. New techniques have been developed at UCLA for determining the dynamic properties of aerosol chain aggregates. Videotapes have been made for the first time showing chain aggregate stretching in the electron microscope, a phenomenon that may have biological and materials implications. Another method developed at UCLA for studying chain aggregate properties involves the use of atomic force microscopy. Theoretical studies of chain aggregate behavior using Monte Carlo simulations have been initiated.

In addition to structural and dynamic studies of ultrafine particles, studies of aerosol oxidants are underway based on novel colorimetric and chemiluminescent techniques. Openings are available both for graduate research assistants and postdoctoral researchers with Professor Friedlander's group.

Please see the official Southern California Particle Center and Supersite (SCPCS) website for additional information on this center.

For more information, please contact Professor Friedlander at UCLA Chemical Engineering.

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