Atomization is common practice to inject the fuel into the combustor (or premixer) through a nozzle, which atomizes the fuel. That is, the continuous stream of fuel is broken up into a mist of tiny droplets. There are many types of nozzles, some of which rely on very high feed pressures to atomize the fuel, and some of which rely on assistance from steam and air to effect good atomization. Generally, the finer the spray produced by the nozzle the better the combustion process.

An atomizer is a device for atomization. The common usage for "atomizer" is the spray nozzle of perfume[1] http://www.bartleby.com/61/37/A0503700.html .

Atomization is also used in manufacturing to produce fine powders by spraying molten or dissolved material through an atomizer and solidifying the droplets.