Electrical Characteristics of Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasmas in Chitosan Solution

Pulsed discharge plasma has exhibited active potential to prepare low molecular weight chitosan. In the present study, the viscosity of ehitosan solution was decreased noticeably after treated with pulsed corona discharge plasma. An experimental investigation on electrical characteristics of pulsed corona discharge plasma in chitosan solution was conducted with a view toward getting insight into discharge process. Factors affecting I-V curve, single pulse injec- tion energy and pulse width were studied. Experimental results showed positive effect of pulsed peak voltage on discharge plasma in chitosan solution. Pulse-forming capacitor greatly influenced the discharge form, and 4 nF was observed as a suitable value for efficiently generating stable discharge plasmas. As the electrode distance was larger than 10 ram, it had slight impact on dis- charge plasma due to the excellent conductive-property of chitosan solution. The injection energy significantly increased with air flow rate, while the pulse width hardly changed as the air flow rate increased from 0.5 m^3/h to 1.0 m^3/h. This study is expected to provide reference for promoting the application of pulsed corona discharge plasma to ehitosan solution treatment.

Regeneration of Acid Orange 7 Exhausted Granular Activated Carbon Using Pulsed Discharge Plasmas

In this paper, a pulsed discharge plasma （PDP） system with a multi-needle-to-plate electrodes geometry was set up to investigate the regeneration of acid orange 7 （AO7） exhausted granular activated carbon （GAC）. Regeneration of GAC was studied under different conditions of peak pulse discharge voltage and water pH, as well as the modification effect of GAC by the pulse discharge process, to figure out the regeneration efficiency and the change of the GAC structure by the PDP treatment. The obtained results showed that there was an appropriate peak pulse voltage and an optimal initial pH value of the solution for GAC regeneration. Analyses of scanning electron microscope （SEM）, Boehm titration, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller （BET）, Horvath-Kawazoe （HK）, and X-ray Diffraction （XRD） showed that there were more mesopore and macropore in the regenerated GAC and the structure turned smoother with the increase of discharge voltage; the amount of acidic functional groups on the GAC surface increased while the amount of basic functional groups decreased after the regeneration process. From the result of the XRD analysis, there were no new substances produced on the GAC after PDP treatment.

Machine learning for parameters diagnosis of spark discharge by electro-acoustic signal

Discharge plasma parameter measurement is a key focus in low-temperature plasma research.Traditional diagnostics often require costly equipment,whereas electro-acoustic signals provide a rich,non-invasive,and less complex source of discharge information.This study harnesses machine learning to decode these signals.It establishes links between electro-acoustic signals and gas discharge parameters,such as power and distance,thus streamlining the prediction process.By building a spark discharge platform to collect electro-acoustic signals and implementing a series of acoustic signal processing techniques,the Mel-Frequency Cepstral Coefficients(MFCCs)of the acoustic signals are extracted to construct the predictors.Three machine learning models(Linear Regression,k-Nearest Neighbors,and Random Forest)are introduced and applied to the predictors to achieve real-time rapid diagnostic measurement of typical spark discharge power and discharge distance.All models display impressive performance in prediction precision and fitting abilities.Among them,the k-Nearest Neighbors model shows the best performance on discharge power prediction with the lowest mean square error(MSE=0.00571)and the highest R-squared value(R^(2)=0.93877).The experimental results show that the relationship between the electro-acoustic signal and the gas discharge power and distance can be effectively constructed based on the machine learning algorithm,which provides a new idea and basis for the online monitoring and real-time diagnosis of plasma parameters.

Sustainable nitrogen fixation by bubble discharge plasma:Performance optimization and mechanism

Sustainable nitrogen fixation driven by renewable energy sources under mild conditions has been widely sought to replace the industrial Haber-Bosch process.The fixation of nitrogen in the form of NO_(x)^(-)and NH_4^(+)into aqueous solutions using electricity-driven gas-liquid discharge plasma is considered a promising prescription.In this paper,a scalable bubble discharge excited by nanosecond pulse power is employed for nitrogen fixation in the liquid phase.The nitrogen fixation performance and the mechanisms are analyzed by varying the power supply parameters,working gas flow rate and composition.The results show that an increase in voltage and frequency can result in an enhanced NO_(3)^(-)yield.Increases in the gas flow rate can result in inadequate activation of the working gas,which together with more inefficient mass transfer efficiencies can reduce the yield.The addition of O_(2) effectively elevates NO_(3)^(-)production while simultaneously inhibiting NH_4^(+) production.The addition of H_(2)O vapor increases the production of OH and H,thereby promoting the generation of reactive nitrogen and enhancing the yield of nitrogen fixation.However,the excessive addition of O_(2) and H_(2)O vapor results in negative effect on the yield of nitrogen fixation,due to the significant weakening of the discharge intensity.The optimal nitrogen fixation yield was up to 16.5 μmol/min,while the optimal energy consumption was approximately 21.3 MJ/mol in this study.Finally,the mechanism related to nitrogen fixation is discussed through the optical emission spectral(OES) information in conjunction with the simulation of energy loss paths in the plasma by BOLSIG+.The work advances knowledge of the effect of parameter variations on nitrogen fixation by gas-liquid discharge for higher yield and energy production.

Discharge plasma for prebiotic chemistry: Pathways to life’s building blocks

Discharge plasmas, recognized as unique platforms for investigating the origins of chemical life, have garnered extensive interest for their potential to simulate prebiotic conditions. This paper embarks on a comprehensive overview of recent advancements in the plasma-enabled synthesis of life’s building blocks, charting the complex environmental parameters believed to have surrounded life’s inception. This discussion elaborates on the fundamental mechanisms of discharge plasmas and their likely role in fostering conditions necessary for the origin of life on early Earth. We consider a variety of chemical reactions facilitated by plasma, specifically the synthesis of vital organic molecules - amino acids, nucleobases, sugars, and lipids. Further, we delve into the impact of plasmas on prebiotic chemical evolution. We expect this review to open new horizons for future investigations in plasma-related prebiotic chemistry that could offer valuable insights for unraveling the mysteries of life's origin.

Comparative study on the degradation of phenol by a high-voltage pulsed discharge above a liquid surface and under a liquid surface

The degradation of phenol by pulsed discharge plasma above a liquid surface(APDP) and under a liquid surface(UPDP) was compared.The effects of discharge voltage,discharge distance,initial solution conductivity and initial p H on the removal of phenol were studied.It was concluded that the removal of phenol increases with increasing discharge voltage and with decreasing discharge distance in both APDP and UPDP systems.An increase in the initial solution’s conductivity has a positive effect in the APDP system but a negative effect in the UPDP system.In addition,alkaline conditions are conducive to the degradation of phenol in the APDP system,while acidic conditions are conducive in the UPDP system.Free radical quenching experiments revealed that ·O-2has an important influence on the degradation of phenol in the APDP system,while ·OH plays a key role in the UPDP system.This paper verifies the differences in the two discharge methods in terms of phenol removal.

Degradation of sulfamethoxazole in water by dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet:influencing parameters,degradation pathway,toxicity evaluation

Sulfamethoxazole(SMX)is an antibiotic and widely present in aquatic environments,so it presents a serious threat to human health and sustainable development.A dielectric barrier discharge(DBD)plasma jet was utilized to degrade aqueous SMX,and the effects of various operating parameters(working gas,discharge power,etc)on SMX degradation performance were studied.The experimental results showed that the DBD plasma jet can obtain a relatively high degradation efficiency for SMX when the discharge power is high with an oxygen atmosphere,the initial concentration of SMX is low,and the aqueous solution is under acidic conditions.The reactive species produced in the liquid phase were detected,and OH radicals and O3were found to play a significant role in the degradation of SMX.Moreover,the process of SMX degradation could be better fitted by the quasi-first-order reaction kinetic equation.The analysis of the SMX degradation process indicated that SMX was gradually decomposed and 4-amino benzene sulfonic acid,benzene sulfonamide,4-nitro SMX,and phenylsulfinyl acid were detected,and thus three possible degradation pathways were finally proposed.The mineralization degree of SMX reached 90.04%after plasma treatment for 20 min,and the toxicity of the solution fluctuated with the discharge time but eventually decreased.

Atmospheric pressure gliding arc discharge plasma treatments for improving germination, growth and yield of wheat

Wheat （Triticum aestivum） seeds were treated with atmospheric pressure gliding arc discharge plasmas to investigate the effects on water absorption, seed germination rate, seedling growth and yield in wheat. The surface architectures and functionalities of the seeds were found to modify due to plasma treatments. 6 rain treatment was provided 95%-100% germination rate. For the treatment duration of 3 and 9 rain the growth activity, dry matter accumulation, leaves chlorophyll contents, longest spikes, number of spikes/spikelet and total soluble protein content in shoots were improved. The grain yield of wheat was increased ,--20% by 6 min treatment with H2O/O2 plasma with respect to control.

Exploration to generate atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma in air

Atmospheric pressure glow discharge（APGD） plasma in air has high application value. In this paper, the methods of generating APGD plasma in air are discussed, and the characteristics of dielectric barrier discharge（DBD） in non-uniform electric field are studied. It makes sure that APGD in air is formed by DBD in alternating current electric field with using the absorbing electron capacity of electret materials to provide initial electrons and to end the discharge progress. Through designing electric field to form two-dimensional space varying electric field and three-dimensional space varying electric field, the development of electron avalanches in airgap is suppressed effectively and a large space of APGD plasma in air is generated. Further,through combining electrode structures, a large area of APGD plasma in air is generated. On the other hand, by using the method of increasing the density of initial electrons, millimeter-gap glow discharge in atmospheric pressure air is formed, and a maximum gap distance between electrodes is 8 mm. By using the APGD plasma surface treatment device composed of contact electrodes, the surface modification of high polymer materials such as aramid fiber and polyester are studied and good effect of modifications is obtained. The present paper provides references for the researchers of industrial applications of plasma.

TREATMENT OF METALS, POLYMER FILMS, AND FABRICS WITHA ONE ATMOSPHERE UNIFORM GLOW DISCHARGE PLASMA(OAUGDP) FOR INCREASED SURFACE ENERGY AND DIRECTIONAL ETCHING

Direct exposure of samples to the active species of air generated by a One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP) has been used to etch and to increase the surface energy of metallic surfaces, photoresist, polymer films, and nonwoven fab- rics. The OAUGDP is a non-thermal plasma with the classical characteristics of a DC normal glow discharge that operates in air (and other gases) at atmospheric pres- sure. Neither a vacuum system nor batch processing is necessary. A wide range of applications to metals, photoresist, films, fabrics, and polymeric webs can be accom- modated by direct exposure of the workpiece to the plasma in parallel-plate reactors. This technolopy is simple, it produces effects that can be obtained in no other way at one atmosphere; it generates minimal pollutants or unwanted by-products; and it is suitable for individual sample or online treatment of metallic surfaces, wafers, films, and fabrics. Early exposures of solid materials to the OAUGDP required minutes to produce rela- tively small increases of surface energy. These durations appeared too long for com- mercial application to fast-moving webs. Recent improvements in OAUGDP gas com- position, power density, plasma quality, recireulating gas flow, and impedance match- ing of the power supply to the parallel plate plasma reactor have made it possible to raise the surface energy of a variety of polymeric webs (PP, PET PE etc.) to levels of 60 to 70 dynes/cm with one second of exposure. In air plasmas, the high surface ener- gies are not durable, and fall to 50 dynes/cm after periods of weeks to months. Here, we report the exposure of metallic surfaces, photoresist, polymeric films, and nonwo- ven fabrics made of PP and PET to an impedance matched parallel plate OAUGDP for durations ranging from one second to several tens of seconds. Data will be re- ported on the surface energy, wettability, wickability, and aging effect of polymeric films and fabrics as functions of time of exposure, and time after exposure; the rate and uniformity of photoresist etching; and the production of sub-micron structures by OAUGDP etching at one atmosphere.

Review on reactive species in water treatment using electrical discharge plasma:formation, measurement, mechanisms and mass transfer

In the electrical discharge plasma process, various chemical and physical processes can participate in the removal of contaminants. In this paper, the chemical and physical processes that occur as a result of the electrical discharge plasma are reviewed, and their possible roles in the degradation of contaminants are discussed. Measurement methods for the quantification of important reactive species and their advantages and shortcomings are presented. Approaches on how to enhance the diffusion of the reactive species in solution are examined. In addition, the formation of typical reactive species in different electrical discharge plasma is compared.

Treatment of Invasive Marine Species on Board by Using Micro-gap Discharge Plasma

A pilot-scale experiment of 20t/h for the treatment of ship＇s ballast water is reported in this paper. When the concentration of the dissolved OH. was 0.68 mg/L during the experiment, the rate of destroying bacteria, mono-algae, protozoan reached 100% within 2.67 s. The effect of hydroxyl radicals on biochemical processes was also studied. The attenuation rate of photosynthesis pigment was 100%. And the main reason for the cells＇ death was the strong destruction of the monose, amylose, protein, DNA and RNA in the cells. As an advanced oxidation method, the procedure can destroy invasive marine species when a ship is in the process of discharging its ballast water.

A zirconium modified Co/SiO_2 Fischer-Tropsch catalyst prepared by dielectric-barrier discharge plasma

Co/SiO2 and zirconium promoted Co/Zr/SiO2 catalysts were prepared using dielectric-barrier discharge （DBD） plasma instead of the conventional thermal calcination method. Fischer-Tropseh Synthesis （FTS） performances of the catalyst were evaluated in a fixed bed reactor. The results indicated that the catalyst treated by DBD plasma shows the higher FTS activity and yield of heavy hydrocarbons as compared with that treated by the conventional thermal calcination method. Increase in CO conversion was unnoticeable on the Co/SiO2 catalyst, but significant on the Co/Zr/SiO2 catalyst, both prepared by DBD plasma. On the other hand, heavy hydrocarbon selectivity and chain growth probability （a value） were enhanced on all the catalysts prepared by the DBD plasma. In order to study the effect of the DBD plasma treatment on the FTS performance, the catalysts were characterized by N2-physisorption, H2-temperature programed reduction （H2-TPR）, H2-temperature- programmed desorption （H2-TPD） and oxygen titration, transmission electron microscope （TEM） and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. It was proved that, compared with the traditional calcination method, DBD plasma not only could shorten the precursor decomposition time, but also could achieve better cobalt dispersion, smaller Co304 cluster size and more uniform cobalt distribution. However, cobalt reducibility was hindered to some extent in the Co/SiO2 catalyst prepared by DBD plasma, while the zirconium additive prevented significantly the decrease in cobalt reducibility and increased cobalt dispersion as well as the FTS performance.

Treatment of Dye Wastewater by Using a Hybrid Gas/Liquid Pulsed Discharge Plasma Reactor

A hybrid gas/liquid pulsed discharge plasma reactor using a porous ceramic tube is proposed for dye wastewater treatment. High voltage pulsed discharge plasma was generated in the gas phase and simultaneously the plasma channel was permeated through the tiny holes of the ceramic tube into the water phase accompanied by gas bubbles. The porous ceramic tube not only separated the gas phase and liquid phase but also offered an effective plasma spreading channel. The effects of the peak pulse voltage, additive gas varieties, gas bubbling rate, solution conductivity and TiO2 addition were investigated. The results showed that this reactor was effective for dye wastewater treatment. The decoloration efficiency of Acid Orange II was enhanced with an increase in the power supplied. Under the studied conditions, 97% of Acid Orange II in aqueous solution was effectively decolored with additive oxygen gas, which was 51% higher than that with argon gas, and the increasing 02 bubbling rate also benefited the decoloration of dye wastewater. Water conductivity had a small effect on the level of decoloration. Catalysis of TiO2 could be induced by the pulsed discharge plasma and addition of TiO2 aided the decoloration of Acid Orange II.

Experimental Study on Surface Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Actuator with Different Encapsulated Electrode Widths for Airflow Control at Atmospheric Pressure

The surface dielectric barrier discharge （SDBD） plasma actuator has shown great promise as an aerodynamic flow control device. In this paper, the encapsulated electrode width of a SDBD actuator is changed to study the airflow acceleration behavior. The effects of encapsulated electrode width on the actuator performance are experimentally investigated by measuring the dielectric layer surface potential, time-averaged ionic wind velocity and thrust force. Experimental results show that the airflow velocity and thrust force increase with the encapsulated electrode width. The results can be attributed to the distinct plasma distribution at different encapsulated electrode widths.

Characterization and Properties of Electroless Nickel Plated Poly (ethylene terephthalate) Nonwoven Fabric Enhanced by Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma Pretreatment

In order to develop a more economical pretreatment method for electroless nickel plating, a dielectric barrier discharge （DBD） plasma at atmospheric pressure was used to improve the hydrophilicity and adhesion of poly （ethylene terephthalate） （PET） nonwoven fabric. The properties of the PET nonwoven fabric including its liquid absorptive capacity （WA）, aging behavior, surface chemical composition, morphology of the surface, adhesion strength, surface electrical resistivity and electromagnetic interference （EMI）- shielding effectiveness （SE） were studied. The liquid absorptive capacity （WA） increased due to the incorporation of oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing functional groups on the surface of PET nonwoven fabric after DBD airplasma treatment. The surface morphology of the nonwoven fibers became rougher after plasma treatment. Therefore, the surface was more prone to absorb tin sensitizer and palladium catalyst to form an active layer for the deposition of electroless nickel. SEM and X-ray diffraction （XRD） measurements indicated that a uniform coating of nickel was formed on the PET nonwoven fabric. The average EMI-SE of Ni-plating of PET nonwoven fabric maintained a relatively stable value （38.2 dB to 37.3 dB） in a frequency range of 50 MHz to 1500 MHz. It is concluded that DBD is feasible for pretreatment of nonwoven fabric for electroless nickel plating to prepare functional material with good EMI-SE properties.

Application of the Multi-Electrode in the Degradation of Alizarin Red Induced by Glow Discharge Plasma

This paper presents a novel set-up to be used in the degradation of dye, Various influencing factors, such as the voltage, the number of the anodes, and the catalytic action of Fe^2＋, were examined. Chemical oxygen demand （COD）, ultraviolet （UV）, FTIR absorption spectra, and atomic force microscopy （AFM） were used to monitor the degradation process. The results showed that the efficiency of degradation is raised by increasing the applied voltage, and is further improved when two or three anodes are used. Moreover, the use of Fe^2＋ ion can promote the degradation reaction and shorten the degradation time. So the multi-electrode instrument is more efficient in degrading the dye and should be further studied.

Discharge Plasma Assisted Adsorbents for Exhaust Treatment: A Comparative Analysis on Enhancing NO_x Removal

An analysis has been made on the discharge plasma coupled with an adsorbent system for NOx removal. The cascaded plasma-adsorbent system may be perceived as a better alternative for the existing adsorbent-based abatement system in the industry. In this study the exhaust is sourced from a diesel generator set. It was observed that better NO removal in a plasma reactor can be made possible by achieving higher average fields and subsequent NO2 removal can be improved using an adsorbent system connected in cascade with the plasma system. The paper describes various findings pertaining to these comparative analyses.

A Cascaded Discharge plasma—Adsorbent Technique for Engine Exhaust Treatment

A cascaded system of electrical discharges (non-thermal plasma) andadsorption process was investigated for the removal of oxides of Nitrogen (NO_x) and totalhydrocarbons (THC) from an actual diesel engine exhaust. The non-thermal plasma and adsorptionprocesses were separately studied first and then the cascaded process was studied. In this study,different types of adsorbents were used. The NO_x removal efficiency was higher withplasma-associated adsorption (cascaded) process compared to the individual processes and the removalefficiency was found almost invariant in time. When associated by plasma, among the adsorbentsstudied, activated charcoal and MS-13X were more effective for NO_x and THC removal respectively.The experiments were conducted at no load and at 50 % load conditions. The plasma reactor was keptat room temperature throughout the experiment, while the temperature of the adsorbent reactor wasvaried. A relative comparison of adsorbents was discussed at the end.

Ni/MgO catalyst prepared using atmospheric high-frequency discharge plasma for CO_2 reforming of methane

A new type of Ni/MgO catalyst was prepared using atmospheric high-frequency discharge cold plasma. The influences of conventional method, plasma method, and plasma plus calcination method on the catalytic activity were studied and the CO2 reforming of methane was chosen as the probe reaction. The catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction （XRD）, transmission electron microscope （TEM）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and CO2 temperature-programmed surface reaction techniques. The results suggested that the nickel-based catalyst prepared by plasma plus calcination method possessed a smaller particle size and a higher dispersion of active component, better low-temperature activity and enhanced anti-coking ability. The conversion of CO2 and CH4 was 90.70% and 89.37%, respectively, and the reaction lasted for 36 h without obvious deactivation under 101.325 kPa and 750°C with CO2/CH4 = 1/1.