PFC gas decomposition using plasma-assisted catalytic technology (PACT)

Summary form only given, as follows. A reduction in and disposal of harmful gases, such as global warming gases CO/sub 2/ and PFC, have become critical to global environmental protection. We developed a disposal reactor, which we named PACT, that uses plasma-assisted catalytic technology. It is based on a unique concept of using both glow plasma and a catalytic reaction in a metal electrode excited by high-energy photons from the plasma at room temperature in a atmospheric pressure. We describe PACT and discuss how it can be used for gas disposal. We also describe synergistic effects of plasma and the use of catalysts for effective gas decomposition. We used tubural-type PACT reactor. An inner electrode made of Cu and coated with a catalytic material was placed in a glass tube with an outer electrode. Reactant gases passed through a narrow cylindrical gap between the inner electrode and the glass wall, where a dielectric-barrier discharge (silent discharge) was induced by a low-frequency (up to several KHz) power supply. We also examined ways to optimize wave forms, voltages and currents. For PFC decomposition, we analyzed the use of a MnO/sub x/ catalyst for CO->CO/sub 2/ transformation using PACT. Residual gas analysis was done using FT-IR. We also conducted an optical emission analysis to understand the reaction mechanism.