Spectral optical properties of soot: laboratory investigation of propane flame particles and their link to composition

Abstract. Soot aerosol generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels is a major light-absorber; however its spectral optical properties for varying black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) content remain uncertain. In this study, soot aerosols with varying maturity and composition, i.e. elemental-to-total-carbon ratio (EC/TC), have been studied systematically in a large simulation chamber to determine their mass absorption, scattering, and extinction cross sections (MAC, MSC, MEC); single-scattering albedo (SSA); and absorption and scattering Ångström exponents (AAE, SAE). The MAC, MEC, SSA, and AAE show a variability between the different types of soot with varying EC/TC ratios. The MAC (MEC) at 550 nm increases for increasing EC/TC, with values of 1.0 (1.4) m2 g−1 for EC/TC = 0.0 (BrC-dominated soot) and 4.6 (5.1) m2 g−1 for EC/TC = 0.79 (BC-dominated soot). The AAE and SSA (550 nm) decrease from 3.79 and 0.29 (EC/TC = 0.0) to 1.27 and 0.10 (EC/TC = 0.79). Combining present results for soot from propane combustion with literature data for flame soot from diverse fuels supports a generalised exponential relationship between particle EC/TC and its MAC and AAE values (MAC550=(1.3±0.05) e(1.8±0.1)ECTC; AAE=(0.73±0.12)+(3.29±0.12) e-(2.32±0.30)ECTC), which represents the optical continuum of spectral absorption for soot with varying maturity. From this, it is possible to extrapolate a MAC of 7.9 and 1.3 m2 g−1 (550 nm) and an AAE (375–870 nm) of 1.05 and 4.02 for pure EC (BC-like) and pure OC (BrC-like) soot. The established relationship can provide a useful parameterisation for models to estimate the absorption from combustion aerosols and their BC and BrC contributions.

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Publication Details

Journal
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Published
2025-06-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-6407-2025
Citations
2
Primary Topic
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
2.60

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article

Spectral optical properties of soot: laboratory investigation of propane flame particles and their link to composition

Marco Zanatta, Edouard Pangui, Antonin Bergé, Servanne Chevaillier et al.
2 citations
Atmospheric chemistry and physics
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
2.60
article

Spectral optical properties of soot: laboratory investigation of propane flame particles and their link to composition

Marco Zanatta, Edouard Pangui, Antonin Bergé, Servanne Chevaillier, R. Vecchi, Gael Noyalet, Laura Renzi, Bénédicte Picquet‐Varrault, M. Maillé, Angela Marinoni, Daniel Ferry, Federico Mazzei, Johannes Heuser, Claudia Di Biagio, Paola Formenti, Brice Temime‐Roussel, Dario Massabò, Jean‐François Doussin, Jérôme Yon, Satoshi Inomata, Vera Bernardoni, Mathieu Cazaunau, Paolo Laj, Hiroshi Tanimoto, Chenjie Yu, Virginia Vernocchi
article en
2 citations

Abstract

Abstract. Soot aerosol generated from the incomplete combustion of biomass and fossil fuels is a major light-absorber; however its spectral optical properties for varying black carbon (BC) and brown carbon (BrC) content remain uncertain. In this study, soot aerosols with varying maturity and composition, i.e. elemental-to-total-carbon ratio (EC/TC), have been studied systematically in a large simulation chamber to determine their mass absorption, scattering, and extinction cross sections (MAC, MSC, MEC); single-scattering albedo (SSA); and absorption and scattering Ångström exponents (AAE, SAE). The MAC, MEC, SSA, and AAE show a variability between the different types of soot with varying EC/TC ratios. The MAC (MEC) at 550 nm increases for increasing EC/TC, with values of 1.0 (1.4) m2 g−1 for EC/TC = 0.0 (BrC-dominated soot) and 4.6 (5.1) m2 g−1 for EC/TC = 0.79 (BC-dominated soot). The AAE and SSA (550 nm) decrease from 3.79 and 0.29 (EC/TC = 0.0) to 1.27 and 0.10 (EC/TC = 0.79). Combining present results for soot from propane combustion with literature data for flame soot from diverse fuels supports a generalised exponential relationship between particle EC/TC and its MAC and AAE values (MAC550=(1.3±0.05) e(1.8±0.1)ECTC; AAE=(0.73±0.12)+(3.29±0.12) e-(2.32±0.30)ECTC), which represents the optical continuum of spectral absorption for soot with varying maturity. From this, it is possible to extrapolate a MAC of 7.9 and 1.3 m2 g−1 (550 nm) and an AAE (375–870 nm) of 1.05 and 4.02 for pure EC (BC-like) and pure OC (BrC-like) soot. The established relationship can provide a useful parameterisation for models to estimate the absorption from combustion aerosols and their BC and BrC contributions.

Atmospheric chemistry and physicsVol. 25(12)
Institut polytechnique de Grenoble (FR), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR), World Meteorological Organization (CH), University of Milan (IT), Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (FR), Université Paris-Est Créteil (FR), National Institute for Environmental Studies (JP), Université Paris Cité (FR), Aix-Marseille Université (FR), Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (FR), Université Paris-Saclay (FR), Paris-Est Sup (FR), Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement (FR), Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (IT), Normandie Université (FR), Institut des Géosciences de l'Environnement (FR), Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement (FR), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Genova (IT), CEA Paris-Saclay (FR), Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (FR), Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Milano (IT), National Research Council (IT), Laboratoire Techniques, Territoires et Sociétés (FR), Centre Interdisciplinaire de Nanoscience de Marseille (FR), Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (FR), Université de Rouen Normandie (FR), University of Genoa (IT), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées Rouen Normandie (FR), Université Grenoble Alpes (FR)
Canon Foundation in Europe, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Horizon 2020
Openalex Percentile: Top 11%
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
2.60
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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