Mechanisms for formation of inorganic byproducts in plasma chemical processing of hazardous air pollutants

Plasma chemical behavior of hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) (Cl ₂C=CCl₂, Cl₂C=CHCl, Cl₃C-CH ₃, Cl₂CH-CH₂Cl, CH₃Cl, CH ₃Br and benzene), their molecular probes (CH₄, CH ₃-CH₃, and CH₂=CH₂), and carbon oxides (CO_x) was investigated with a ferroelectric packed-bed plasma reactor to obtain information on the formation of CO _x and N₂O. It has been shown that the oxidation of CO to CO₂ is a slow reaction in plasma, and that CO and CO ₂ mainly result from different precursors. Simultaneous achievement of complete oxidative decomposition of HAPs in plasma and recovery of CO as a chemical feedstock could be favorable. The process of N₂O formation is affected by HAP structures and oxygen concentration. In the decomposition of olefinic HAPs, such as Cl₂ C=CCl₂ and Cl₂C=CHCl, high-power short-residence-time operations are effective in suppressing N₂ O formation. In the cases of CH₃Cl and CH₃Br, low specific energy density operations could be necessary to reduce N₂O concentrations. The yields and selectivities of CO, CO₂ and N₂O change drastically by adding only 2% of oxygen to N₂, and oxygen concentration is not a good factor to control these inorganic oxides