Physico-Chemical Characterization of Black Carbon Emitted from Coal-fired Power Plant, Charcoal Kiln and Diesel Vehicle

The physico-chemical characteristics and nanostructure of the aerosol samples from a coal-fired power plant, a charcoal kiln and diesel vehicles were investigated with focusing on black carbon (BC). Aerosols from the coal-fired power plant were mostly comprised of mineral ash spheres which are heterogeneously mixed. The main components of the aerosols from coal-fired power plant were calcium compounds, iron oxide, alumino-silicate without BC. The typical combustion-generated BC which shows the shape of bunch of grapes with 20~50 nm particles which were detected in aerosol particles from diesel vehicles. The nanostructure of each BC particle shows the shape of concentric circles which is comprised of closely-packed graphene layers. Aerosols from charcoal kiln were likely condensed organic carbon generated from the low-temperature combustion process.