Inertial Deposition of Submicron Aerosol Particles of Heavy Metals in Fibrous Filters

Inertial deposition of high-density submicron particles in high-performance filters consisting of submicron fibers has been studied. It has been experimentally found that the particles are completely collected by the filters at Stokes numbers substantially exceeding the critical numbers, above which the rebound of the particles from the fibers may take place. It has been assumed that the recorded penetration of radioactivity through analytical high-performance filters in the course of sampling air containing submicron particles of nuclear fuel is due to the penetration of nanoparticles, i.e., so-called “alpha-recoil aggregates” that result from the self-sputtering of α-active materials.