Investigation on the Volatility of Ammonium Nitrate Using Optical Tweezers

Measurements of the particle-to-gas partitioning of semi-volatile atmospheric aerosols are crucial for providing more accurate descriptions of the compositional and size distributions of atmospheric aerosol. As a major component of semi-volatile aerosol species, ammonium nitrate (NH₄NO₃) is ubiquitous in the sub-micron particulate matter, particularly in high pollution episodes. In order to further understand gas-particle partitioning of NH₄NO₃, determination of the saturated vapor pressure of NH₄NO₃ is needed. Here, we investigate the volatility of NH₄NO₃ at different relative humidities (RHs) using aerosol optical tweezers coupled with Raman spectroscopy as an instrument for sampling and detecting. According to the Maxwell equation, the vapor pressures at different RHs are calculated, and the values are (1.67±0.24)×10^-3, (1.82±0.19)×10^-3, (2.91±0.13)×10^-3, (3.5±0.28)×10^-3, (4.59±0.22)×10^-3 and (6.64±0.3)×10^-3 Pa, when the RH is 80%, 73%, 68%, 57.3%, 55.4%, 44.8% respectively. Obviously, the vapor pressures of NH₄NO₃ increase with RH decreasing, i. e. low RH promotes the evaporation of ammonium nitrate. Additionally, we also calculate the volatilizing flux of NH₄NO₃ at different RHs, and the values are in the range of (4.01±0.79)×10^-7~(3.32±0.77)×10^-8 mol•(s•m²)^-1. The results obtained herein are of important significance in understanding the partitioning processes of semi-volatile aerosols.