Investigation of the dynamics and kinetics involved in saline aerosol generation under air erosion of pure and contaminated halide salts

•Dynamics and kinetics of aerosol generation under erosion of various halide salts.•Evidences that pure NaCl presents the highest potential to generate saline aerosols.•The efficiency in the aerosol generation inhibition: (KI+KCl)>KI≈KBr>KCl>CaCl2.•The erosion rate constants: NaClpure crystallite>NaClwith CaCl2/KCl>NaClwith KBr/KI.•The erosion process controlled most probably by the morphology of the used salt.

This study presents results from an investigation of the dynamics and kinetics involved in saline aerosol generation under air erosion of pure and contaminated halide salts. Investigations have been performed in a microhalochamber filled with active efflorescent pure or doped NaCl salt granules. The performed work allows the suggestion that pure NaCl salt presents the highest potential to generate saline aerosols. The generation capacity of saline aerosols decreased in doped NaCl, and the efficiency of the doping salts to inhibit aerosol generation was in the order (KI+KCl)>KI≈KBr>KCl>CaCl2. Emission/erosion rate constants (min−1) were estimated by applying a simple kinetic treatment to the experimental data set (i.e. trends of ln([S0]/[S]) vs. time, where S represents the salt). The pseudo-first order erosion rate constant value (ke), characteristic of the emission/erosion of aerosol from salt granules, decreased in the order NaClpure crystallite>NaCldoped with CaCl2 or KCl salts>NaCldoped with KBr or KI salts. For the doping salt the emission/erosion rate constants varied in the order: ke(KI)