Erosion rate for different electrode materials in an AC elongated rotating arc reactor working in air

Summary form only given. In a gliding arc reactor, the arc string moves two dimensionally. On the other hand, in a rotating arc reactor the arc string moves three dimensionally by using a swirl motion of arc gas. This results in volumetric high-temperature environment, which is favorable for the thermal decomposition and oxidation reaction. For gaseous waste treatment, arc reactors should satisfy four conditions: 1) volumetric high-temperature region, 2) long electrode lifetime, 3) use of diverse reactant gases, and 4) high treatment efficiency. This study is focused on the electrode lifetime. The electrode lifetime working in air is compared among tungsten (W), zirconium (Zr), oxygen free copper (OFC), and copper-tungsten (Cu-W) alloy at the same flow rate (100 l/min) and power (15 kW). Temporal change in voltage-current values is monitored, and electrode weight loss and erosion shape are compared after 8 hr operation. Optimum material for long electrode lifetime is selected based on this experiment. With respect to the selected material, the erosion rate is further evaluated by varying the power.