The Manipulation and Combustion of Carbon-Based Micro Particles by Optical Tweezers

Sheng-ji Li & Xue-feng Huang

This article presents the manipulation and combustion of carbon-based micro particles (polystyrene, active carbon) by optical tweezers. Trap, ignition, and combustion of micro particles are well demonstrated. For polystyrene in water, polystyrene micro particles of 2.9 µm are trapped with increasing laser power. The polystyrene takes reaction and combusts as the laser power of 520 mW. For active carbon in air, both single active carbon and active carbon bundle can be trapped, dragged, oxidized, ignited, and combusted. The drag speed and burning rate of single active carbon of 7.0 µm are 103.7 µm/s and 14.0 µm/s as the minimum ignition power of 3.2 mW. Combustions of single active carbon and bundle are flameless at minimum ignition power. As the power is further enhanced, strenuous oxidation and combustion flame can be observed. For active carbon bundle of 215.7 µm, combustion process sustains 0.72 s as the laser power of 90 mW.

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