Plasma-catalytic processes in gliding discharges

Two kinds of plasma-catalytic processes initiated by gliding discharges (GD) were examined: 1) nitrous oxide decomposition and 2) methane non-oxidative coupling to C-2 hydrocarbons. In the first case, the GD reactor with stationary catalyst bed was used. It was found that the selected catalysts CuO/Al2O3 and Fe2O3/Al2O3 may increase the conversion rate of N2O into N-2 and O-2 in the plasma-catalytic system, not affecting, however, its oxidation to NO. For the methane coupling, a new model of GD reactor has been developed with a mobile (spouted) bed of catalyst particles. In that process, C-2 hydrocarbons were the dominant reaction products, however, some amounts of non-volatile substances (e.g. soot) were also produced. When using alumina-ceramic particles, acetylene was the main product with none or traces of other C-2 hydrocarbons. In the presence of Pt/Al2O3, however, much more ethylene and ethane were produced.