title: Physicochemical properties of aerosol released in the case of a fire involving materials used in the nuclear industry.
abstract: For industrial concerns, and more especially for nuclear applications, the characterization of soot is essential for predicting the behaviour of containment barriers in fire conditions. This study deals with the characterization (emission factor, composition, size, morphology, microstructure) of particles produced during thermal degradation of materials found in nuclear facilities (electrical cables, polymers, oil and solvents). Small-scale experiments have been conducted for oxygen concentrations [O2] ranging from 15% to 21% in order to imitate the oxygen depletion encountered during a confined fire. Particles denote distinct shapes, from aggregates composed of monomers with diameters ranging from 31.2 nm to 52.8 nm, to compact nanoparticles with diameters ranging from 15 nm to 400 nm, and their composition strongly depends on fuel type. Despite the organic to total carbon ratio (OC/TC), their properties are poorly influenced by the decrease in [O2]. Finally, two empirical correlations are proposed for predicting the OC/TC ratio and the monomer diameter, respectively, as a function of the fuel's carbon to hydrogen ratio and the emission factor.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, PSN-RES/SCA/LECEV, Gif-Sur-Yvette 91192, France. Electronic address: francois-xavier.ouf@irsn.fr.
authors.forename: F-X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Ouf
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, PSN-RES/SCA/LECEV, Gif-Sur-Yvette 91192, France.
authors.forename: V-M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Mocho
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, PSN-RES/SCA/LECEV, Gif-Sur-Yvette 91192, France.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pontreau
authors.affiliation: Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN), PSN-RES/SCA/LPMA, PSN-RES/SCA/LECEV, Gif-Sur-Yvette 91192, France.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS UMR 7325, CINaM, 13009 Marseille, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ferry
authors.affiliation: CORIA-UMR 6614-Normandie Université, CNRS-Université et Insa de Rouen, Campus Universitaire du Madrillet, 76800 Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, France.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yon
mesh_terms: D000336:Aerosols / Q000032:analysis*; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005390:Fires; D055848:Nuclear Power Plants; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000336:Aerosols; D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Combustion aerosol; Emission factors; Fire; Morphology; Organic carbon; Size distribution