atomize

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The process whereby a bulk liquid is transformed into a multiplicity of small drops. This transformation, often called primary atomization, proceeds through the formation of disturbances on the surface of the bulk liquid, followed by their amplification due to energy and momentum transfer from the surrounding gas.

Spray formation processes are critical to the performance of a number of technologies and applications. These include combustion systems (gas turbine engines, internal combustion engines, incinerators, furnaces, rocket motors), agriculture (pesticide and fertilizer treatments), paints and coatings (furniture, automobiles), consumer products (cleaners, personal care products), fire suppression systems, spray cooling (materials processing, computer chip cooling), medicinal (pharmaceutical), and spray drying (foods, drugs, materials processing). Current concerns include how to make smaller drops (especially for internal combustion engines), how to make larger drops (agricultural sprays), how to reduce the number of largest and smallest drops (paints and coatings, consumer products, medicinals, spray drying), how to distribute the liquid mass more uniformly throughout the spray, and how to increase the fraction of liquid that impacts a target (paints and coatings, spray cooling, fire suppression).

Spray devices (that is, atomizers) are often characterized by how disturbances form. The most general distinction is between systems where one or two fluids flow through the atomizer. The most common types of single-fluid atomizers are pressure (also called plain-orifice, hydraulic, or pneumatic), pressure-swirl, rotary, ultrasonic (sometimes termed whistle or acoustic), and electrostatic. Twin-fluid atomizers include internal-mix and external-mix versions, where these terms describe the location where atomizing fluid (almost always a gas) first contacts fluid to be sprayed (almost always a liquid).

While primary atomization is important, because of its role in determining mean drop size and the spectrum of drop sizes, subsequent processes also play key roles in spray behavior. They include further drop breakup (termed secondary atomization), drop transport to and impact on a target, drop evaporation (and perhaps combustion), plus drop collisions and coalescence. In addition, the spray interacts with its surroundings, being modified by the adjacent gas flow and modifying it in turn. See also Aerosol; Particulates.

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The formation of tiny droplets or a very fine spray, as produced by impinging jets of air on a small stream of paint in spray painting.

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The dispersing of a liquid into a fine spray. This is typically used for (1) dehydration (i.e., spray drying) or (2) for the coating of materials (spray coating) onto a matrix. See Spray Drying.

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The act or process of breaking up a liquid into a fine spray.

For a list of words related to atomization, see:

• Chemical Properties and Reactions - atomization: decomposition into composite atoms

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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)

Dansk (Danish)
v. tr. - atomisere, pulverisere

Nederlands (Dutch)
in atomen ontleden, in kleine deeltjes verdelen, beschouwen als bestaande uit kleine deeltjes, aanvallen met kernwapens

Français (French)
v. tr. - atomiser, pulvériser

Deutsch (German)
v. - atomisieren, zerstäuben

Ελληνική (Greek)
v. - διασπώ σε άτομα, μετατρέπω σε ψεκάδες, κατακερματίζω

Italiano (Italian)
atomizzare

Português (Portuguese)
v. - atomizar

Русский (Russian)
раздробить на мельчайшие частицы, распылить

Español (Spanish)
v. tr. - atomizar, pulverizar

Svenska (Swedish)
v. - förvandla till atomer, finfördela

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
使分裂成原子, 使粉碎, 使...成雾状, 使遭受原子弹轰炸

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
v. tr. - 使分裂成原子, 使粉碎, 使...成霧狀, 使遭受原子彈轟炸

한국어 (Korean)
v. tr. - 을 원자로 하다, 분무하다, 을 원폭으로 파괴하다

日本語 (Japanese)
v. - 原子に分離する, 霧にする, 粉々にする, 原子爆弾で破壊する, 霧状にする

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(فعل) يرذذ : يحول السائل الى رذاذ‏

עברית (Hebrew)
v. tr. - ‮הפריד לאטומים או לחלקיקים קטנטנים, ריסס‬

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