Experimental Analysis of Volatile Organic Compounds Conversion by a Dielectric Barrier Discharge Reactor to Study the main Products: Hydrogen, CO, CO2, NOx and Hydrocarbons

Ali Khadem, Mohammad Reza Khani, Rezvan Hosseini rad, Babak
Shokri, Saied Rashnoo, Barat Ghobadian

Chemical Engineering and Processing – Process Intensification
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cep.2019.107660

Abstract: In this study, the use of dielectric barrier discharge plasma technology in decomposing the VOCs Benzene, Toluene, and Xylene has been thoroughly investigated. Throughout the experiments, a complete study of factors such as decomposition rate of the reactor, effect of the applied voltage, different types and amounts of the byproducts and also, the temperature of the reactor was carried out. In order to measure the above factors, a thermometer, gas sensors, OES, and GC analysis were used. It was observed that by increasing the applied voltage, the decomposition rates increase, correspondingly. The highest decomposition rates measured for benzene, toluene, and xylene were 82.31%, 80.88%, and 69.68%, respectively. Also, with the increase of voltage, higher decomposition rates were achieved due to the increase of the reactive species’ energy. In addition, it was seen that in the presence of VOCs, CO, CO2 and insignificant amounts of HCs were produced as a direct result of VOCs being decomposed, and there were no NO molecules in the output, in case there are VOCs in the input. Also, optical emission spectroscopy determined the type of reactive species that are responsible for degrading and decomposing the VOC molecules which were excited nitrogen and oxygen molecules.