Collaboration provides researchers with best-in-class ultrafine and nano-particle counting solutions.

Enviro Technology (ET) is delighted to be working once again with the world-leading Finnish nano-particle counting technology expert, Airmodus. When ET and Airmodus last worked together in 2012, it is fair to say that that many researchers just didn’t think it was possible to accurately and reliably count particles smaller than the detection threshold of CPC’s, especially in the 1-4 nm size range.

There has always been strong academic interest in these, the ‘smallest of the small’ particles, and Finland has established itself as one of the World’s leading research centres of excellence in this area. Airmodus was itself, co-founded in 2010 by the sub-micron particulate luminary, Professor Markku Kulmala who heads up the Division of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Helsinki.

And over the last decade, we have learned far more about the massive negative health impacts associated with ultrafine (<100 nm) particles as well as the sources and significance of sub-5 nm particles and the creation, behaviour and fate of freshly nucleated aerosols.

The traditional instrument of choice for counting ultrafine particles has been the condensation particulate counter, or CPC. Whilst Airmodus offer a choice of two of CPCs (models A20 and A23) with compelling advantages over other brands, it is the A11 Nano Condensation Nucleus Counter system (A11 nCNC) and the A10 particle size magnifier (PSM) which Enviro Technology considers to be the most exciting and revolutionary products, opening up doors that were previously closed in the weird and wonderful sub-5 nm measurement realm. The A11 nCNC detects particles as small as 1 nm in diameter in real-time and also, importantly, the electrically neutral particles. In addition, the A11 cCNC operates in three modes: fixed, stepping or scanning and comes with comprehensive, yet user-friendly software to control the PSM and CPC, calculate particle concentration, calculate activation spectra and display and save data.

ET’s Duncan Mounsor concludes: “the small team of highly focused, highly specialised particle scientists at Airmodus are without doubt some of the greatest minds working on R&D and instrument development in this rapidly advancing area of atmospheric and environmental research. Having the Airmodus CPCs and the amazing A11 nCNC in our product range continues with our overall philosophy of introducing new technology to the UK market to enable scientists and researchers to continue to push the envelope and to do what has not been possible before”.