ABSTRACT
Having a good understanding on properties of air and compounds of concern (COCs) and interactions among them is vital to establish and maintain an effective air quality program. This chapter deals with a coverage on the Earth’s atmosphere, followed by factors affecting properties of air, and then basic properties of air, including molecular weight, density, viscosity, specific heat capacity, and Reynolds number. It presents some important characteristics of COCs, e.g., vapor pressure, humidity, and heating value that are relevant to air pollution and control. The chapter discusses the interactions among gas, liquid, and solid which are the phases of air pollutants and their hosting media in the gas stream as well as in control/removal devices. Atmosphere of the Earth is a mixture of many different gases held by the gravitational force. Major components of dry air include nitrogen, oxygen, and argon.
