Effect of Treatment Temperature on Iron Nitride Foils Irradiated with Nitrogen Plasma

We investigated the effect of treatment temperature on the magnetic property of iron nitride foils irradiated with nitrogen plasma. The iron nitride foils irradiated with nitrogen plasma were composed of ε-Fe2/3N, γ'-Fe4N and γ nitrogen austenite in α-Fe of the matrix. The saturation magnetization of the iron nitride foils decreased with increasing the surface temperature. The coercive force of the iron nitride foils increased with increasing the surface temperature.

Nitrogen Plasma Treatment Effect on Graphene Sheeted Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers

Nitrogen plasma treatment effect on GS-CNFs （graphene seeted vertically aligned carbon nanofibers） has been studied. GS-CNFs were grown on nickel coated cupper substrates by DC-plasma CVD （chemical vapor deposition） at relatively low temperature. GS-CNFs were studied by SEM （scanning electron microscopy）, HR-TEM （high-resolution transmission electron microscopy）, XPS and Raman measurements. GS-CNFs are composed of cylindrical shaped having pure graphite sheets with about 5 μm length and nanometer size tips and roots diameter. Nitrogen plasma treatment causes nitrogen chemical etching on the graphene seeted carbon nanofibers were disordered its fine shape and increase the graphetization due to nitrogen incorporation.

Plasma nitrogen fixation system with dual-loop enhancement for improved energy efficiency and its efficacy for lettuce cultivation

Plasma nitrogen fixation(PNF)has been emerging as a promising technology for greenhouse gasfree and renewable energy-based agriculture.Yet,most PNF studies seldom address practical application-specific issues.In this work,we present the development of a compact and automatic PNF system for on-site agricultural applications.The system utilized a gliding-arc discharge as the plasma source and employed a dual-loop design to generate NO_(x)from air and water under atmospheric conditions.Experimental results showed that the system with a dualloop design performs well in terms of energy costs and production rates.Optimal operational parameters for the system were determined through experimentation,resulting in an energy cost of 13.9 MJ mol^(-1)and an energy efficiency of 16 g kWh^(-1)for NO_(3)^(-)production,respectively.Moreover,the concentration of exhausted NO_(x)was below the emission standards.Soilless lettuce cultivation experiments demonstrated that NO_(x)^(-)produced by the PNF system could serve as liquid nitrate nitrogen fertilizer.Overall,our work demonstrates the potential of the developed PNF system for on-site application in the production of green-leaf vegetables.

Study on Modification of Nano-Sized Anatase Titanium Dioxide by Nitrogen-Plasma

The nano-sized particles of anatase titanium oxide （TiO2） were obtained by hydrolysis of titanium ester （TNB） in basic media and dehydrated in acid media. And then the anatase titanium oxide was treated with nitrogen plasma. The effect of nitrogen plasma treating time on the activity of photo-catalytic reduction of the Cr2O7^2- for sample obtained was investigated. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, Transmission Electron Microscope （TEM） and Ultraviolet （UV）. A peak of 396 eV in the N 1 s XPS spectra of sample obtained with nitrogen plasma treated TiO2 showed that nitrogen-doped titanium oxide （TiO2-zNx） has been obtained. The spectra of UV showed that the light absorption of TiO2-xNz obtained by nitrogen plasma treated TiO2 for 10min. had moved to the visible region. The picture of TEM and spectra of XRD indicated that the crystallographic forms and particle dimension had no apparent change for both the modified and the unmodified TiO2. When the TiO2 sample was treated for 7 min with nitrogen plasma, it exhibited best photo-catalytic activity.

Nitrogen cold plasma treatment stabilizes Cu^(0)/Cu^(+) electrocatalysts to enhance CO_(2) to C2 conversion

Cu-based materials are ideal catalysts for CO_(2) electrocatalytic reduction reaction(CO_(2)RR) into multicarbon products.However,such reactions require stringent conditions on local environments of catalyst surfaces,which currently are the global pressing challenges.Here,a stabilized activation of Cu^(0)/Cu^(+)-onAg interface by N_(2) cold plasma treatment was developed for improving Faradaic efficiency(FE) of CO_(2)RR into C2 products.The resultant Ag@Cu-CuN_x exhibits a C2 FE of 72% with a partial current density of-14.9 mA cm^(-2) at-1.0 V vs.RHE(reversible hydrogen electrode).Combining density functional theory(DFT) and experimental investigations,we unveiled that Cu^(0)/Cu^(+) species can be co ntrollably tu ned by the incorporation of nitrogen to form CuN_x on Ag surface,i.e.,Ag@Cu-CuN_x.This strategy enhances ^(*)CO intermediates generation and accelerates C-C coupling both thermodynamically and kinetically.The intermediates O^(*)C^(*)CO,^(*)COOH,and ^(*)CO were detected by in-situ attenuated total internal reflection surface enhanced infrared absorption spectroscopy(ATR-SEIRAS).The uncovered CO_(2)RR-into-C2 products were carried out along CO_(2)→^(*)COOH→^(*)CO→O^(*)C^(*)CO→^(*)C_(2)H_(3)O→^(*)C_(2)H_(4)O→ C_(2)H_(5)OH(or ^(*)C_(2)H_(3)O→^(*)O+C_(2)H_(4)) paths over Ag@Cu-CuN_x electrocatalyst.This work provides a new approach to design Cu-based electrocatalysts with high-efficiency,mild condition,and stable CO_(2)RR to C2 products.

Catalyst-Packed Non-Thermal Plasma Reactor for Removal of Nitrogen Oxides

A single-stage plasma-catalytic reactor in which catalytic materials werepacked was used to remove nitrogen oxides. The packing material was scoria being made of variousmetal oxides including Al_2O_3, MgO, TiO_2, etc. Scoria was able to act not only as dielectricpellets but also as a catalyst in the presence of reducing agent such as ethylene and ammonia.Without plasma discharge, scoria did not work well as a catalyst in the temperature range of 100 ℃to 200 ℃, showing less than 10% of NOx removal efficiency. When plasma is produced inside thereactor, the NOx removal efficiency could be increased to 60% in this temperature range.

Removal of Nitrogen Oxides in Diesel Engine Exhaust by Plasma Assisted Molecular Sieves

This paper reports the studies conducted on removal of oxides ofnitrogen (NOx) from diesel engine exhaust using electrical dischargeplasma combined with adsorbing materials such as molecular sieves.This study is being reported for the first time. The exhaust is takenfrom a diesel engine of 6 kW under no load conditions. Thecharacteristic behavior of a pulse energized dielectric barrierdischarge reactor in the diesel exhaust treatment is reported. TheNOx removal was not significant (36/100) when the reactor without anypacking was used.

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.

XPS INVESTIGATION OF NITROGEN IONS IMPLANTED INTO ALUMINUM ALLOY BY PLASMA BASED ION IMPLANTATION

Aluminum alloy 2024 has been implanted with nitrogen ions at various doses by plasma based ion implantation. The introduction of energetic ions causes structural change within the near surface region of the solid. The samples have been characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy at various depths. The chemical states of Al and N were identified by deconvolution of the recorded XPS spectra. After plasma based ion implanted nitrogen into aluminum, not only the AlN precipitates but also super saturated solution of nitrogen forms. The presence of aluminum in different chemical states is corresponding to Al, AlN and Al2O3. The majority of nitrogen is in the form of the supersaturated solution. With the increase of nitrogen dose, the amount of AlN precipitates increases.

On the Plasma (ion) Carburized Layer of High Nitrogen Austenitic Stainless Steel

The manganese concentration of austenitic stainless steel decreases from the inner layer towards the surface of the plasma (ion) carburized layer due to the evaporation of manganese from the specimen surface. The carbon concentration in the carburized layer is influenced by alloyed elements such as Cr, Ni, Si, and Mo, as well as Nitrogen. This study examined the effects of nitrogen on the properties of the carburized layer of high nitrogen stainless steel. Plasma (ion) carburizing was carried out for 14.4 ks at 1303 K in an atmosphere of CH4+H2 gas mixtures under a pressure of 350 Pa. The plasma carburized layer of the high nitrogen stainless steel was thinner than that of an austentric stainless steel containing no nitrogen. This suggested that the nitrogen raised the activity of carbon in the plasma carburized layer, GDOES measurement indicated that the nitrogen level in the layer did not vary after plasma (ion) carburizing.

N-Graphene Nanowalls via Plasma Nitrogen Incorporation and Substitution: The Experimental Evidence

Incorporating nitrogen(N)atom in graphene is considered a key technique for tuning its electrical properties.However,this is still a great challenge,and it is unclear how to build N-graphene with desired nitrogen configurations.There is a lack of experimental evidence to explain the influence and mechanism of structural defects for nitrogen incorporation into graphene compared to the derived DFT theories.Herein,this gap is bridged through a systematic study of different nitrogen-containing gaseous plasma post-treatments on graphene nanowalls(CNWs)to produce N-CNWs with incorporated and substituted nitrogen.The structural and morphological analyses describe a remarkable difference in the plasma–surface interaction,nitrogen concentration and nitrogen incorporation mechanism in CNWs by using different nitrogen-containing plasma.Electrical conductivity measurements revealed that the conductivity of the N-graphene is strongly influenced by the position and concentration of C–N bonding configurations.These findings open up a new pathway for the synthesis of N-graphene using plasma post-treatment to control the concentration and configuration of incorporated nitrogen for application-specific properties.

Numerical study on the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced plasma

Based on the fluid theory of plasma, a model is built to study the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced argon plasma. In the model, species such as electrons, N2＋, N4＋, Ar＋, and two metastable states （N2 （A3 ∑ u＋）, N2 （a1 ∑ u）） are taken into account. The model includes the particle continuity equation, the electron energy balance equation, and Poisson抯iequation. The model ’s solved with a finite difference method. The numerical results are obtained and used to investigate the effect of time taken to add nitrogen gas and initially-induced argon plasma pressure. It is found that lower speeds of adding the nitrogen gas and varying the gas pressure can induce higher plasma density, and inversely lower electron temperature. At high-pressure discharge, the electron density increases when the proportion of nitrogen component is below 4070, while the electron density will keep constant as the nitrogen component further increases. It is also shown that with the increase of initially-induced argon plasma pressure, the density of charged particles increases~ and the electron temperature as well as the electric field decreases.

Decomposition of Nitrogen Trifluoride Using Low Power Arc Plasma

The low power arc plasma is characterized by extremely high enthalpy and temper- ature and it is easy to generate and control, and thus thermal decomposition process based on the plasma torch is receiving a great attention for decomposing non-degradable greenhouse gases. In order to elevate the economic feasibility, the effects of input power, waste gas flow rate and additive gases on the destruction and removal efficiency （DRE） of NF3 are examined. Specific energy density （SED） deceases as the flow rate increases, and accordingly, the DRE is reduced. The DRE is basically determined by the specific energy density. The highest DRE of NF3 was 97% for the waste gas flow rate of 100 L/min at a low input power level of 2 kW with the help of hydrogen additional gas. The inlet and outlet concentration of NF3 was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy （FT-IR） for DRE of NF3 evaluation. As a result, large amount of NF3 can be efficiently decomposed by low power arc plasma systems.

Nitrogen Removal from Molten Steel under Argon DC Glow Plasma

Under argon DC glow plasma, the nitrogen removal from molten steel was studied. The experimental result showed that nitrogen mass percent could be reduced to 0000 8%. The change of polarity had no impact on nitrogen removal when the nitrogen mass percent was low. The mechanism of denitrogenation of molten steel under argon DC glow plasma was discussed.

Plasma-based ion implantation of nitrogen into Ti-6Al-4V: effect of implantation time and pre-or post-implantation aging on nitrogen distribution and microhardness

Presents the investigation of the effect of implantation time and pre or post implantation aging on nitrogen distribution and microhardness with the following findings: the colour of the surface is modified after implantation and it gets darker with the increase of implantation time, and is not affected by pre or post implantation aging; for every implanted sample, a peak is found in the near surface region of the nitrogen concentration depth profile determined by X ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS); The position of the peak is not affected by implantation time and pre or post implantation aging used; With the increase of implantation time, the surface nitrogen concentration increases, and the peak is heightened, but the speed of heightening decreases; The surface structure formed after the implantation may be more unstable and more readily oxidized in its subsequent exposure to air; The implanted samples can be protected against oxidation by immersing them in pure alcohol; and the immersion causes the surface nitrogen concentration to increase somewhat and the surface oxygen concentration to decrease in comparison with the exposure to air. The implanted samples exhibit higher hardness improvement factor especially at low plastic penetrations. The exposure to air causes the hardness improvement factor to increase. As the implantation time is increased, the hardness improvement factor increases (but at a decreased speed). Over long implantation time can induce a softening process because the hardness improvement effects are then unable to follow the effect of strength loss.

Measurements of Absolute Atomic Nitrogen Density by Two-Photon Absorption Laser-Induced Fluorescence Spectroscopy in Hot Air Plasma Generated by Microwave Resonant Cavity

For the first time, absolute densities of atomic nitrogen in its ground state (N4S) have been measured in hot dry and humid air plasma columns under post-discharge regime. The determination of space-resolved absolute densities leads to obtain the dissociation degrees of molecular nitrogen in the plasma. The hot plasmas are generated inside an upstream gas-conditioning cell at 600 mbar when the air gas flow is directly injected at 10 slm in a microwave resonant cavity (2.45 GHz, 1 kW) placed in the downstream side. Density measurements based on laser induced fluorescence spectroscopy with two-photon excitation (TALIF), are more particularly performed along the radial and axial positions of the plasma column. Calibration of TALIF signals is performed in situ (i.e. in the same gas-conditioning cell but without plasma) using an air gas mixture containing krypton. Optical emission spectroscopy is considered to estimate the rotational gas temperature by adding a small amount of H2 in dry air to better detect OH (A-X) spectra. The rotational temperatures in humid air plasma column (50% of humidity) are larger than those of dry air plasma column by practically 30% near the nozzle of resonant cavity on the axis of the plasma column. This is partly due to attachment heating processes initiated by water vapor. A maximum of the measured absolute nitrogen density is also observed near the nozzle which is also larger for humid air plasma column. The obtained dissociation degrees of molecular nitrogen in both dry and humid air plasma along the air plasma column are lower than the cases where only thermodynamic equilibrium is assumed. This is characteristic of the absence of chemical and energetic equilibria not yet reached in the air plasma column dominated by recombination processes.

Incorporation of Nitrogen Into Amorphous Carbon Films Produced by Surface-Wave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition

In order to study the influence of nitrogen incorporated into amorphous carbon films, nitrogenated amorphous carbon films have been deposited by using surface wave plasma chemical vapor deposition under various ratios of N2/CH4 gas flow. Optical emission spectroscopy has been used to monitor plasma features near the deposition zone. After deposition, the samples are checked by Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photo spectroscopy (XPS). Optical emission intensities of CH and N atom in the plasma are found to be enhanced with the increase in the N2/CH4 gas flow ratio, and then reach their maximums when the N2/CH4 gas flow ratio is 5%. A contrary variation is found in Raman spectra of deposited films. The intensity ratio of the D band to the G band (Id/Ig) and the peak positions of the G and D bands all reach their minimums when the N2/CH4 gas flow ratio is 5%. These show that the structure of amorphous carbon films has been significantly modified by introduction of nitrogen.

Numerical study on the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced plasma

Based on the fluid theory of plasma, a model is built to study the characteristics of nitrogen discharge at high pressure with induced argon plasma. In the model, species such as electrons, N2+, N4+, Ar+, and two metastable states (N 2(A3∑u+), N2 (a1 ∑u-)) are taken into account. The model includes the particle continuity equation, the electron energy balance equation, and Poisson抯equation. The model is solved with a finite difference method. The numerical results are obtained and used to investigate the effect of time taken to add nitrogen gas and initially-induced argon plasma pressure. It is found that lower speeds of adding the nitrogen gas and varying the gas pressure can induce higher plasma density, and inversely lower electron temperature. At high-pressure discharge, the electron density increases when the proportion of nitrogen component is below 40%, while the electron density will keep constant as the nitrogen component further increases. It is also shown that with the increase of initially-induced argon plasma pressure, the density of charged particles increases, and the electron temperature as well as the electric field decreases.

Improvement of Optical Reactivity for Nano-TiO2 Film by Nitrogen ECR Plasma

Nitrogen ion was implanted into the nano-TiO2 film surfaces by electron cyclotron resonance （ECR） plasma modification to improve the optical reactivity in visible-light region for nano-TiO2. Diagnosing the N2 plasma by optical emission spectroscopy （OES） was applied to the process of plasma modification. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS） was used for analysis of the binding of element after plasma modification. It is shown that the surface modification was caused by excitated N. The injecting of N2 and N＋ leads to the increase in the dissociative interstitial state N in the films. The doped N makes for TiO2-xNx appearing in the TiO2 films. TiO2-xNx forms the impurity energy state in the TiO2 energy band gap and reduces the energy band gap. This is the main reason leading to the red shift of absorption edge.