Decomposition of toluene by using a streamer discharge reactor combined with catalysts

In this study, the improvement in the decomposition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) was investigated by combining discharge plasma with a catalyst. DC streamer corona plasma reactors combined with a catalyst were developed. The basic configuration of the reactors is a needle-to-plane mesh electrode system. By changing the position of catalyst against the plasma region, several reactors were developed and compared with each other. As a catalyst, a honeycomb catalyst (Mn type) was tested. A catalyst layer was located between the needles and plane mesh electrodes (type A reactor), or the catalyst layer was placed just behind the mesh electrode (type B reactor). In other reactors, the catalyst layer was followed by the needles-to-plane mesh electrode system (type C reactor) or the catalyst layer was removed (type D reactor). The needles-to-plane mesh electrode system produced the stable streamer corona discharge. The streamers covered the surface of the catalyst layer in the type A and B reactors. However, the characteristics of the streamer were different for the type A and type B reactors. Toluene (C/sub 6/H/sub 5/CH/sub 3/) was chosen as a test gas. The type A reactor showed the most efficient toluene decomposition. It was considered that the gas-phase toluene and the toluene adsorbed on the catalyst were decomposed simultaneously.