The output of collaborative work between researchers in two universities. The experimental work was carried out at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) while the theoretical predictions were conducted at De Montfort University. This collaborative study resulted in improving knowledge regarding soot particles formation during liquid fuel combustion. The collaboration in this field is on-going through a parametric study aimed at identifying factors influencing soot formation and oxidation in spray combustion (Prof. R. J. Crookes QMUL, tel. 0207 8825270).