Characterization of Aerosols Generated by Nanosecond Laser Ablation of an Acrylic Paint

This study focuses on particles produced during laser ablation of a green colored acrylic wall paint, which is frequently used in industrial buildings and in particular in nuclear installations. Ablation is carried out with a Nd:YAG laser at a wavelength of 532 nm and a pulse duration of 5 ns, in a cell at ambient pressure and temperature, which is ventilated by filtered air. The number of particles emitted was measured with a Condensation Particle Counter (CPC) and their size with an Engine Exhaust Particle Sizer (or EEPS) for the nanometric range, and an AEROSIZER (for the micrometric range). The mass and shape of particles were determined by sampling on filters as well as on the different impaction plates of a Low-Pressure Impactor (LPI). Two particle populations were detected: a population of aggregates of primary nanoparticles with an electrical mobility diameter ranging from 30 to 150 nm, and a population of spherical submicron particles with an aerodynamic diameter ranging from 400 to 1000 nm. The spherical particles are mainly composed of titanium dioxide, and the aggregates most likely of carbon. The presence of two types of particles with different size distributions, shapes, and chemical compositions, implies that particles originating from the ablation of paint are formed by two different mechanisms: agglomeration in the case of the nanometric aggregates, which is preceded by steps of nucleation, condensation, and coagulation of the primary particles, while the submicron spheres result from a direct ejection mechanism.