Synergetic effect between non-thermal plasma and photocatalytic oxidation on the degradation of gas-phase toluene: Role of ozone

In this study, a hybrid process using non‐thermal plasma (NTP) and photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) was adopted for the degradation of gas‐phase toluene using TiO2 as the photocatalyst. To discover the synergetic effect between NTP and PCO, the performances of both sole (O3, UV, NTP, and PCO) and combined (O3 + TiO2, O3 + UV, NTP + UV, O3 + PCO, and NTP + PCO) processes were investigated from different perspectives, such as the toluene removal efficiency, selectivity of COx, mineralization rate, ozone utilization, and the generation of by‐products. The toluene removal efficiency of the combined NTP + PCO process was 80.2%, which was much higher than that of a sole degradation process such as NTP (18.8%) and PCO (13.4%). The selectivity of CO2 and the ozone utilization efficiency also significantly improved. The amount of by‐products in the gas phase and the carbon‐ based intermediates adsorbed on the catalyst surface dramatically reduced. The improvement in the overall performances of the combined NTP + PCO process was mainly ascribed to the efficient utilization of ozone in the photocatalytic oxidation, and the ozone further acting as an electron acceptor and scavenger, generating more hydroxyl radicals and reducing the recombination of electron‐ hole pairs.

Simultaneous removal of NO and SO_2 from dry gas stream using non-thermal plasma

In order to investigate the feasibility of sequential removal NO and SO2 using non-thermal plasma and adsorbent simultaneously, the removal of NO and SO2 from dry gas stream （NO/SO2/N2/O2） with very little O2 using non-thermal plasma was investigated using a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge. Comparative experiments were carried out in the dry gas stream with and without Ar respectively at O2 concentration of 0.1%. The results showed that NO could be removed remarkably and it would be enhanced in the presence of Ar in the dry gas stream. It seems that SO2 could not be removed unless there is Ar in the dry gas stream. The mechanism of removal of NO and SO2 in the dry gas stream was discussed.

Study on purification technology of polyacrylamide wastewater by non-thermal plasma

In this work, non-thermal plasma has been applied to treat polyacrylamide（PAM） wastewater.We have investigated the influence of the rule of PAM wastewater initial pH, solution concentration and discharge time, discharge voltage on chemical oxygen demand（COD）degradation rate. At the same time, the effect of pH and discharge time on the viscosity removal rate of PAM solution was also studied. Then, the effect of pH on the viscosity removal rate of1.0 gl-1 PAM solution was studied separately. Through orthogonal test, the factors affecting the COD degradation rate of PAM wastewater were determined as follows: discharge time > discharge voltage > solution concentration > wastewater initial pH. The COD highest removal rate of PAM wastewater reached 85.74%, when the optimal conditions are as follows:discharge voltage 40 k V, discharge time 5 h, solution concentration 1.0 gl-1, pH 1.5. This research provides some basic data and new theoretical basis for PAM wastewater purification.

Synergistic removal of nitrogen monoxide by non-thermal plasma and catalyst simultaneously

An experimental system of De-NO with plasma-catalyst（Cu zeolite） was established to investigate the differences between De- NO with plasma-catalyst and De-NO only with plasma, to provide the instruction for selecting appropriate catalyst and operating condition, The characteristics of De-NO with plasma and De-NO with plasma-catalyst were investigated comparatively by experiments. The experimental results show that De-NO with plasma-catalyst has high NO removal rate; Cu zeolite is an effective catalyst which can promote NO removal rate in plasma remarkably; De-NO with plasma-catalyst should be operated at low temperature and the temperature has opposite effects on the function of catalvst and plasma; water vapor and O2 can increase the NO removal rate.

Effect of high-voltage discharge non-thermal plasma on g-C_3N_4 in a plasma-photocatalyst system

The synergistic effect of high voltage discharge non‐thermal plasma(NTP)and photocatalysts on contaminant removal has repeatedly confirmed by plenty of researches.Most previous plasma‐photocatalyst synergistic systems focused on the utilization of the ultraviolet light but ignored the visible light generated by high voltage discharge.Graphitic carbon nitride(g‐C3N4),a metal‐free semiconductor that exhibits high chemical stability,can utilize both the ultraviolet and visible light from high voltage discharge.However,the synergistic system of NTP and g‐C3N4 has been researched little.In this paper,the effect of NTP generated by dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)on g‐C3N4 is studied by comparing the photocatalytic activities,the surface physical structure and the surface chemical characteristics of pristine and plasma treated g‐C3N4.Experimental results indicate that the DBD plasma can change the physical structure and the chemical characteristics and to further affect the photocatalytic activity of g‐C3N4.The effect of NTP on g‐C3N4 is associated with the discharge intensity and the discharge time.For a long time scale,the effect of NTP on g‐C3N4 photocatalysts presents a periodic change trend.

Non-thermal Plasma Suppresses Bacterial Colonization on Skin Wound and Promotes Wound Healing in Mice

The present study evaluated the effect of non-thermal plasma on skin wound healing in BalB/c mice.Two 6-mm wounds along the both sides of the spine were created on the back of each mouse（n=80） by using a punch biopsy.The mice were assigned randomly into two groups,with 40 animals in each group：a non-thermal plasma group in which the mice were treated with the non-thermal plasma;a control group in which the mice were left to heal naturally.Wound healing was evaluated on postoperative days（POD） 4,7,10 and 14（n=5 per group in each POD） by percentage of wound closure.The mice was euthanized on POD 1,4,7,10,14,21,28 and 35（n=1 in each POD）.The wounds were removed,routinely fixed,paraffin-embedded,sectioned and HE-stained.A modified scoring system was used to evaluate the wounds.The results showed that acute inflammation peaked on POD 4 in non-thermal plasma group,earlier than in control group in which acute inflammation reached a peak on POD 7,and the acute inflammation scores were much lower in non-thermal group than in control group on POD 7（P0.05）.The amount of granular tissue was greater on POD 4 and 7 in non-thermal group than in control group（P0.05）.The re-epithelialization score and the neovasularization score were increased significantly in non-thermal group when compared with control group on POD 7 and 10（P0.05 for all）.The count of bacterial colonies was 103 CFU/mL on POD 4 and 20 CFU/mL on POD 7,significantly lower than that in control group（109 CFU/mL on POD 4 and 1012 CFU/mL on the POD 7）（P0.05）.It was suggested that the non-thermal plasma facilitates the wound healing by suppressing bacterial colo-nization.

Recent progress on non-thermal plasma technology for high barrier layer fabrication

This review describes the application of non-thermal plasma（NTP） technology for high barrier layer fabrication in packaging area.NTP technology is considered to be the most prospective approaches for the barrier layer fabrication over the past decades due to unpollution,high speed,low-costing.The applications of NTP technology have achieved numerous exciting results in high barrier packaging area.Now it seemly demands a detailed review to summarize the past works and direct the future developments.This review focuses on the different NTP resources applied in the high barrier area,the role of plasma surface modification on packaging film surface properties,and the deposition of different barrier coatings based on NTP technology.In particular,this review emphasizes the cutting-edge technologies of NTP on interlayer deposition with organic,inorganic for multilayer barriers fabrication.The future prospects of NTP technology in high barrier film areas are also described.

Sterilization of Staphylococcus Aureus by an Atmospheric Non-Thermal Plasma Jet

An atmospheric non-thermal plasma jet was developed for sterilizing the Staphylococcus aureus （S. aureus）. The plasma jet was generated by dielectric barrier discharge （DBD）, which was characterized by electrical and optical diagnostics. The survival curves of the bacteria showed that the plasma jet could effectively inactivate 10 6 cells of S. aureus within 120 seconds and the sterilizing efficiency depended critically on the discharge parameter of the applied voltage. It was further confirmed by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） that the cell morphology was seriously damaged by the plasma treatment. The plasma sterilization mechanism of S. aureus was attributed to the active species of OH, N 2 ＋ and O, which were generated abundantly in the plasma jet and characterized by OES. Our findings suggest a convenient and low-cost way for sterilization and inactivation of bacteria.

Improvement of Polytetrafluoroethylene Surface Energy by Repetitive Pulse Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment in Atmospheric Air

Improvement of polytetrafluoroethylene surface energy by non-thermal plasma treatment is presented, using a nanosecond-positive-edge repetitive pulsed dielectric barrier discharge generator in atmospheric air. The electrical parameters including discharging power, peak and density of micro-discharge current were calculated, and the electron energy was estimated. Surface treatment experiments of polytetrafluoroethylene films were conducted for both different applied voltages and different treating durations. Results show that the surface energy of polytetrafluoroethylene film could be improved to 40 mJ/m2 or more by plasma treatment. Surface roughness measurement and surface X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis indicate that there are chemical etching and implantation of polar oxygen groups in the sample surface treating process, resulting in the improvement of the sample surface energy. Compared with an AC source of 50 Hz, the dielectric barrier discharges generated by a repetitive pulsed source could provide higher peak power, lower mean power, larger micro-discharge current density and higher electron energy. Therefore, with the same applied peak voltage and treating duration, the improvement of polytetrafluoroethylene surface energy using repetitive pulsed plasma is more effective, and the plasma treatment process based on repetitive pulsed dielectric barrier discharges in air is thus feasible and applicable.

Mechanism and Kinetics Analysis of NO/SO_2/N_2/O_2 Dissociation Reactions in Non-Thermal Plasma

The kinetics mechanism of the dissociation reactions in a NO/SO2/N2/O2 system was investigated in consideration of energetic electrons＇ impacts on a non-thermal plasma. A model was derived from the Boltzmann equation and molecule collision theory to predict the dissociation reaction rate coefficients. Upon comparison with available literature, the model was confirmed to be acceptably accurate in general. Several reaction rate coefficients of the NO/SO2/N2/O2 dissociation system were derived according to the Arrhenius formula. The activation energies of each plasma reaction were calculated by quantum chemistry methods. The relation between the dissociation reaction rate coefficient and electron temperature was established to describe the importance of each reaction and to predict relevant processes of gaseous chemical reactions. The sensitivity of the mechanism of NO/SO2/N2/O2 dissociation reaction in a non-thermal plasma was also analysed.

Study of Non-Thermal DC Arc Plasma of CH_4/Ar at Atmospheric Pressure Using Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Mass Spectrometry

Non-thermal C/H/Ar plasmas are widely applied to carbonaceous material production and processing.In this work,plasma parameters and gaseous species of the atmospheric non-thermal C/H/Ar plasmas produced by an atmospheric-pressure DC arc discharge generator in CH_4/Ar were investigated.The voltage-current characteristics were measured for different CH_4/Ar ratios.Optical emission spectroscopy was employed to analyze the electron excitation temperature,gas temperature and electron density under various discharge conditions.The hydrocarbon molecules produced in the CH4/Ar plasmas were detected with photoionization mass spectrometry.The optical spectral results demonstrated that the electron excitation temperature was 0.4-1 eV,the gas temperature was 2800-4200 K and the electron density was in the range of（5-20）×10^15 cm^-3.The mass spectrum indicated that a variety of unsaturated hydrocarbons（C2H4,C3H6,C6H6,etc.） and several highly unsaturated hydrocarbons（C4H2,C5H6,etc.） were produced in the non-thermal arc plasmas.

Efficiency of Removing Sulfur Dioxide in the Air by Non-Thermal Plasma Along with the Application of the Magnetic Field

The non-thermal plasma created by high voltage pulsed power supply can be used to remove sulfur dioxide in the air, but how to increase the removing efficiency is not clear. It is novel to apply the magnetic field in removing SO2 as discussed in this paper. The mechanisms of removing sulfur dioxide by non-thermal plasma along with the application of the magnetic field are analyzed, and the related factors affecting the removal efficiency, such as the magnitude of pulsed voltage, the polarity of the pulse, the layout of the discharge electrode, especially the magnetic field are experimentally investigated. It can be concluded that the purification efficiency is improved significantly by applying the magnetic field.

The degradation of oxadiazon by nonthermal plasma with a dielectric barrier configuration

To explore the feasibility of a degradation approach by non-thermal plasma and the corresponding degradation pathways,studies on the oxadiazon removal in synthetic wastewater by a dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor were investigated.The loss of the nitro group,dechlorination and ring cleavage is mainly involved in the non-thermal plasma degradation pathways of oxadiazon in a solution based on the OES and LC-MS analysis.Detection of EC25 and the production of the chlorine ion and nitrate ion further demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the approach.The conditions with a proper applied voltage,solution flow rate,oxygen flow rate,and solution pH contribute to the plasma degradation processes with a degradation ratio of over 94%.

The Advantages of Non-Thermal Plasma for Detonation Initiation Compared with Spark Plug

In this paper,the characteristics of detonation combustion ignited by AC-driven non-thermal plasma and spark plug in air/acetylene mixture have been compared in a doubletube experiment system.The two tubes had the same structure,and their closed ends were installed with a plasma generator and a spark plug,respectively.The propagation characteristics of the flame were measured by pressure sensors and ion probes.The experiment results show that,compared with a spark plug,the non-thermal plasma obviously broadened the range of equivalence ratio when the detonation wave could develop successfully,it also heightened the pressure value of detonation wave.Meanwhile,the detonation wave development time and the entire flame propagation time were reduced by half.All of these advantages benefited from the larger ignition volume when a non-thermal plasma was applied.

Effect of Non-Thermal Plasma Modified NiAl Layered Double Hydroxides on the Removal of Fluoride from Aqueous Solution

In this paper, NiAl layered double hydroxides (NiAl-LDHs) has been modified by non-thermal plasma (NTP) to enhance the fluoride removal capacity of materials. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), Thermogravimetric differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA) and N2 adsorption-desorption. Effects of pH, co-existing anions, temperature and kinetics on F﹣ adsorption were investigated. The results showed that pH affects the adsorbent surface charge. The effective pH range for F﹣ removal was between 4.5 and 10. Lower pH potentially causes dissolution of NiAl-LDHs. The negligible interference of coexisting ions such as makes the NiAl-LDHs a promising sorbent for fluoride polluted water treatment.

Polysilicon Prepared from SiCl_4 by Atmospheric-Pressure Non-Thermal Plasma

Non-thermal plasma at atmospheric pressure was explored for the preparation of polysilicon from SiCl4. The power supply sources of positive pulse and alternating current （8 kHz and 100 kHz） were compared for polysilicon preparation. The samples prepared by using the 100 kHz power source were crystalline silicon. The effects of H2 and SiCl4 volume fractions were investigated. The optical emission spectra showed that silicon species played an important role in polysilicon deposition

Effect of indirect non-thermal plasma on particle size distribution and composition of diesel engine particles

To explore the effect of the gas source flow rate on the actual diesel exhaust particulate matter（PM）, a test bench for diesel engine exhaust purification was constructed, using indirect nonthermal plasma technology. The effects of different gas source flow rates on the quantity concentration, composition, and apparent activation energy of PM were investigated, using an engine exhaust particle sizer and a thermo-gravimetric analyzer. The results show that when the gas source flow rate was large, not only the maximum peak quantity concentrations of particles had a large drop, but also the peak quantity concentrations shifted to smaller particle sizes from 100 nm to 80 nm. When the gas source flow rate was 10L min^-1, the total quantity concentration greatly decreased where the removal rate of particles was 79.2%, and the variation of the different mode particle proportion was obvious. Non-thermal plasma（NTP） improved the oxidation ability of volatile matter as well as that of solid carbon. However, the NTP gas source rate had little effects on oxidation activity of volatile matter, while it strongly influenced the oxidation activity of solid carbon. Considering the quantity concentration and oxidation activity of particles, a gas source flow rate of 10L min^-1 was more appropriate for the purification of particles.

Applying chemical engineering concepts to non-thermal plasma reactors

Process scale-up remains a considerable challenge for environmental applications of non-thermal plasmas.Undersanding the impact of reactor hydrodynamics in the performance of the process is a key step to overcome this challenge.In this work,we apply chemical engineering concepts to analyse the impact that different non-thermal plasma reactor configurations and regimes,such as laminar or plug flow,may have on the reactor performance.We do this in the particular context of the removal of pollutants by non-thermal plasmas,for which a simplified model is available.We generalise this model to different reactor configurations and,under certain hypotheses,we show that a reactor in the laminar regime may have a behaviour significantly different from one in the plug flow regime,often assumed in the non-thermal plasma literature.On the other hand,we show that a packed-bed reactor behaves very similarly to one in the plug flow regime.Beyond those results,the reader will find in this work a quick introduction to chemical reaction engineering concepts.

Non-Linear Ion-Acoustic Solitary Waves in Electron-Positron-Ion Plasma with Non-Thermal Electrons

Ion-acoustic solitary (IAS) waves in electron-positron-ion (e-p-i) plasma have been of interest to many researchers probably due to their relevance in understanding the Universe. However, the study of non-linear ion-acoustic waves in e-p-i plasma with non-thermal electrons has not been adequately studied. A theoretical investigation on non-linear IAS waves in e-p-i plasma comprising of warm inertial adiabatic fluid ions and electrons that are kappa distributed, and Boltzman distributed positron is presented here using the Sagdeev potential technique. It was found that existence domains of finite amplitude IAS waves were confined within the limits of minimum and maximum Mach numbers with varying k values. For lower values of k, the amplitude of the solitary electrostatic potential structures increased as the width decreased, while for high values, the potential amplitude decreased as the width of the solitary structure increased.

Characteristics of non-thermal AC arcs in multi-arc generator

To obtain large-volume non-thermal arc plasma(NTAP), a multiple NTAP generator with three pairs of electrodes has been developed. The arc plasma characteristics, including dynamic process, spatial distribution, and rotation velocity in the discharge zone, were investigated by high speed photograph and image processing methods. The results showed that the dynamic behaviors and spatial distribution of the arc plasma were strongly related to the electrode configuration.A swirl flow of multi-arc plasma was formed by adjusting the electrode configuration, and a steady luminance area was clearly observed in the center of the discharge zone. Moreover, the size of the luminance area increased by decreasing the gas flow rate. The electrical connection in series could be formed between/among these arc columns with their respective driving power supplies in the multi-arc dynamic evolution process. An approximately periodical process of acceleration and deceleration of the arc rotation velocity was observed in the multi-arc generator with swirl flow configuration. In general, the mean velocity of arc rotation was higher in the multi-arc generator with swirl flow configuration when a pair of electrodes driven by a power supply were opposite to each other rather than adjacent.