5. ABSTRACT
Industrial particulates and sub-micro crystals of sulfates are positively identified from field samples of
acid precipitation (cloud, fog and rain drop-lets) by a system of scanning electron microscope and
energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer and also by dispersion staining microscopy. A Laboratory
experiments confirm, by liquid ion chromatography, that gaseous SO/2 absorbed by water droplets,
contaminated by few fine particulates of flyash from coal combustion, could be converted
catalytically to sulfuric acid.
It is hypothesized that the formation of acid precipitation in the atmosphere is due to heterogeneous
reaction of catalytic SO/2 oxidation on the surface of industrial particulates inside cloud droplets.
A Heterogeneous catalysts, such as carbon, vanadium, manganese and iron associated with the
surface of particulate, which are generated by electric power plants burning fossil fuels, especially
coal, contribute to the complex surface chemical interaction, which result in the formation of acid
droplets and sulfate crystals.
Formation of acid precipitations in the atmosphere have been suggested primarily to be oxidation of
SO/2 by photochemical process in gas phase and by homogeneous reaction in solution. A But these
mechanisms cannot explain for the observed high concentration of sulfates in the atmosphere.
A Based on preliminary result of this study and technique developed from this experiment, It is
suggested that a further investigation, the heterogeneous catalytic SO/2 oxidation on particulates
surface in water droplets, may open up a pathway for more understanding the formation of acid
precipitation and the generation of sulfate aerosols in the atmosphere.
Characterization of industrial particulate and sulfate aerosols from field sample of acid precipitation,
chemical process of catalytic SO/2 oxidation and the effect of acid precipitation to our environment
will be presented with illustrates.
presented at "the 7th World Clean Air Congress and Exhibition,"
Sydney, Australia, 25-29 August 1986.
FORMATION of ACID DROPLETS: HETEROGENEOUS SO/2 OXIDATION
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