Decomposition of inorganic gases in an atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma

If various oxide powders were prepared by microwave heating under an argon gas flow for the purpose of improving catalysts' performance, we found that an atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium plasma was generated around some powders and that this phenomenon is peculiar to electrically conductive and heat-resistive materials. For industrial applications we tried to decompose inorganic gases by considering various utilizations. As a first step, nitric oxide which is one of the notorious atmospheric pollutants was treated. As a result nitric oxide gas could be decomposed by an atmospheric pressure plasma even under high gas flow rate conditions and under the presence of oxygen and water. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.