A study of volatile organic compounds decomposition with the use of non-thermal plasma

Non-thermal plasma processing is an effective method to decompose diluted VOC contaminants in manufacturing rooms for the electronic industry. In this paper, two different discharge-type laboratory scale reactors (Double Dielectric Barrier Discharge and Packed-Bed Discharge) that generate non-thermal plasma have been developed and the decomposition tests were conducted. The tested VOC was Benzene, Toluene, Xylene, P-cumene, Diethylether and Dichlormethane. It was found from the experimental results for the present reactors that Benzene oxidization required higher energy than the other aromatic hydrocarbons with side branches. The decomposition efficiency was high for Cumene and Xylene (two methyl-side groups) and low for Toluene (one methyl group) and Diethylether. One of the frequently used solvents in semiconductor industry, Dichlormethane which can destroy atmospheric ozone layer, could be decomposed in the Double Dielectric Barrier Discharge with minimum power consumption and the DDBD reactor had a little higher decomposition efficiency than the Packed-Bed reactor.