Measurement of Visible and Near-Infrared Optical Properties of Soot Produced from Laminar Flames

Published

July 26, 2002

Author(s)

J Zhu, M Choi, George W. Mulholland, L A. Gritzo, J J. Suo-Anttila

Abstract

This study describes the measurements of the dimensionless extinction constant, Ke, of soot in the visible and infrared spectrum using the NIST Large Agglomerate Optics Facility (LAOF). Soot was produced using a 11 mm i.d. laminar diffusion flames burner fueled with acetylene and ethene. Light extinction measurements were performed using light sources at 543.5 nm, 632.8 nm, 856 nm, 1314 nm, and 1565 nm. The mean values of present measurements of Ke range from 7.95 to 10.0. These measurements represent the first fuel-specific data available in the near-infrared spectrum. The measured Ke values for all wavelengths are significantly larger than values calculated using reported values of the refractive index. For soot from acetylene flames, the Ke values increased with wavelength, whereas for soot from ethene flames, the Ke values decreased slightly with wavelength. Transmission electron microscopy and optical microscopy analyses were used to analyze soot morphology and aerosol properties to estimate the influences of beam shielding and light scattering on the observed variations of Ke.

Citation

Proceedings of the Combustion Institute

Volume

29

Issue

2

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

dimensionless extinction coefficient, dimensionless scattering coefficient, laminar flame, large agglomerate optics facility, near-infrared optical properties, refractive index of smoke, transmission electron microscope

Citation

Zhu, J. , Choi, M. , Mulholland, G. , Gritzo, L. and Suo-Anttila, J. (2002), Measurement of Visible and Near-Infrared Optical Properties of Soot Produced from Laminar Flames, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=861126 (Accessed October 8, 2025)