atomizers

An atomizer is a device that converts a liquid into a fine mist or aerosol. The process, atomization, enables liquids to be dispersed as a spray or inhaled as an aerosol. Atomizers are used in perfumery, medicine, agriculture, coatings, and consumer electronics such as vaping devices.

Atomization can be achieved by mechanical pressure, pneumatic breakup, ultrasonic vibration, or thermal vaporization. Mechanical or pressure atomizers push liquid through a nozzle where high shear creates droplets. Pneumatic atomizers use surrounding air to break up the liquid. Ultrasonic atomizers vibrate at high frequency to eject droplets from a liquid surface. Thermal atomizers heat the liquid to produce vapor that condenses into droplets in some designs. Some devices combine methods, as in vaporizers where a coil heats liquid to form aerosol.

Common types include: perfume atomizers with a reservoir and small spray nozzle, medical nebulizers that turn drugs into inhalable aerosols, and industrial spray atomizers such as full-cone, hollow-cone, and air-assisted nozzles used for coating, painting, or agricultural spraying. In consumer electronics, the term atomizer refers to the heating-element assembly in electronic nicotine delivery systems, comprising a coil, wick, and reservoir; rebuildable and throwaway variants exist and often feature adjustable airflow and power settings.

Key performance factors include droplet size distribution, spray angle, flow rate, and liquid properties such as viscosity and surface tension. Design aims to maximize uniformity and prevent clogging, corrosion, or unintended aerosol exposure. Safety considerations address inhalation risks and environmental impact.

The word atomizer derives from the idea of turning liquid into discrete particles, a concept with long history in perfume dispensers and modern aerosol science.