The Southern New England Ultraviolet Co.

The exclusive manufacturer of Rayonet equipment

Aerosol Photochemical Reactor




In conventional stead state irradiations, substrates, whether illuminated by lamps surrounding the vessel or through a water cooled immersion well; in general, lack adequate stirring.

The GWRP-1987 unit is designed to circumvent these problems and to ensure more efficient photolysis of the reactant by increasing dramatically the surface area exposed, while reducing the opportunity for polymer formation and deposition. Such surface coating results in reduced transparency of the component surfaces and a concomitant decrease in the light flux to achieve the desired photointerconversion.

In a typical run; the homogeneous neat reactant or solution is atomized by aspiration from the reservoir flask, with an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon, through the nozzle at the base of the reaction chamber.

The irradiated aerosol upon condensation may return to the flask through a port incorporating a serum capped trap located at the base of the vessel from which samples may be withdrawn by syringe. The kinetics of the product disappearance or product formation may thus be followed without interruption of the photoreaction.

Heterogeneous systems may also be employed to take advantage of this unit. The stirring efficiency achievable in the reservoir with the bladed magnetic stirring bar which is sufficient to achieve emulsification. The emulsion in turn may be aspirated with nitrogen or argon in the reaction chamber as an aerosol consisting of water droplets bearing a lipophilic surface. The system may be saturated with a reactive gas such as oxygen simply by driving the aspirator with this gas. The GWRP-1987 unit is designed for use in the Rayonet© Model 200 with the adjustable leg option. The aerosol reactor has three components. The reaction chamber which can be quartz if needed, the aerosol driver section, and the emulsion flask.