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Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

4-30-2026

Disciplines

Chemistry

Advisor

Dr. Christen Strollo

Abstract

Different compounds in atmospheric aerosols absorb water (deliquesce) and release water (effloresce) at different levels of humidity. This can affect the chemistry of atmospheric aerosols as well as the formation of clouds and movement of water vapor in the sky. While there has been previous research on deliquescence of salts, the results of compounds mixed with organics are of more interest as the composition of aerosols are better understood. Organics can impact other physical properties of liquid aerosols like surface tension. In this research, the deliquescence relative humidity, efflorescence relative humidity and surface tension was determined for common salts found in aerosols in pure form and in mixtures with oxalic acid, the most abundant dicarboxylic acid in the atmosphere. A quartz crystal microbalance was used to measure the change in the mass of a sample while varying the humidity to determine deliquescence relative humidity and efflorescence relative humidity. A goniometer was used to measure the contact angle of the mixtures and surface tension of the solutions were calculated. The results have shown that for salts with oxalate anions the humidity range that the aerosol is in a liquid state increase as the amount of organic increases but for other anions the humidity range decreases. The results also show that as oxalic acid increases in the mixture, the surface tension of the droplets decreases. These results will increase the knowledge of the chemistry and physical properties of atmospheric aerosols and show the importance's of studying how different type of aerosols interact and affect each other.

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