Oxidation of propene from air by atmospheric plasma-catalytic hybrid system

Abstract

The pulsed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) combined with the palladium supported on alumina beads, was investigated for propene (C3H6) removal from air. The effects of thermal-catalysis, plasma-catalysis (in-plasma catalysis and post-plasma catalysis), and plasma-alone on the propene removal were compared. Results are presented in the terms of C3H6 removal efficiency, energy consumption, and by-products production. Temperature dependence studies (20–250°C) show that in all conditions of input plasma energy density explored (23–148 J L-1), the plasma-catalysis systems exhibit better propene conversion efficiencies than the thermal catalysis at low temperature (60% at 20°C). Plasma-alone treatment has a similar effectiveness compared to plasma-catalysis at room temperature, but it leads to the formation of high by-products concentrations. It appears that in the plasma-catalyst system, C3H6 removal was the most efficient, whatever was the configuration used, and it was helpful to minimize by-products formation.

Keywords

• Non-thermal plasma
• C3H6 oxidation
• palladium catalyst