Monodisperse aerosols of selenium in nitrogen with particle radii of 0.1 and 0.2 pm were passed through a column of silica gel, either directly or upon addition of some ether vapour. In the latter case, the particles were entrained by the diffusing vapour towards the surface of the sorbent. The ratio N/No of the aerosol penetration through the column in the presence and in the absence of vapour sorption was determined nephelometrkally and compared with the theoretical value. The experimental values of 1 -N/No proved to be 10-20 per cent higher than the theoretical ones. A similar result was obtained in the reverse case of evaporation from the grains, where the penetration of the aerosol is increased.
IN MANY industrial processes a hot gas containing condensable vapours as well as aerosol particles is drawn through a packed column cooled from outside. In this case, condensation of the vapours and deposition of the particles in the column occur simultaneously. In other processes a dry dusty gas flows through a hot wetted column; in this case, the deposition of particles takes place under reverse conditions-on an evaporating water film. An increase in aerosol deposition in the column should be expected in the former case and a decrease in the latter. The same effects can be produced by sorption and desorption of vapour in a column packed with a granular sorbent. Apparently these phenomena have not been studied quantitatively as yet.