Effects of adsorption and temperature on a nonthermal plasma process for removing VOCs

Simultaneous use of nonthermal plasma and adsorption process for removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) has been investigated. Toluene (C7H8) and propane (C3H8), which have different adsorption behavior, were treated using three different types of the barrier discharge reactors packed with glass, macro-porous γ-Al2O3, or molecular sieve 5A pellets mixed with the γ-Al2O3 beads, respectively. Test results show that the removal rates of the VOCs treated by nonthermal plasma process increase with the assistance of adsorption. The enhanced removal rates with the adsorption process are maintained under increased temperature conditions, although the adsorption capability is apparently decreased as the temperature increases. In addition, O3 and HNO3 generated from the nonthermal plasma process are significantly decreased with γ-Al2O3 beads, which is another technical advantage to use γ-Al2O3 beads.