Kinetic analogies between decomposition of 1,2-dichloroethane and chloroform under non-thermal reducing RF plasma conditions

The decomposition of 1,2-dichloroethane (1,2-C2H4Cl2) has been studied under non-equilibrium plasma conditions in a low pressure (20 mbar) capacitively coupled rf hydrogen plasma (CCP) operating at low power levels of 1-10 W/cm(3) and residence times of 0.03-0.1 s. The qualitative and quantitative distribution of the products analyzed by a GC/MS system has been compared with the product spectrum of the chloroform (CHCl3) conversion under the same plasma conditions. The observed similarities between the two product spectra are interpreted by kinetic analogies of the nonthermal destruction processes of these two chlorinated hydrocarbons. A corresponding qualitative reaction mechanism basing on elementary radical reactions is discussed.