Toluene oxidation in a plasma-catalytic system

Oxidative removal of toluene in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor combined with manganese catalysts downstream was investigated. Toluene input concentration was varied in the range of 415-2227 ppm. The discharge was operated in pulsed mode, with short pulses of 23-35 kV peak voltage. At 7 W average power, toluene conversion was 60%-70%, independent on the toluene input concentration and on the total gas flow rate in the range of 110-330 SCCM (SCCM denotes cubic centimeter per minute at STP). Toluene total oxidation was favored at high residence time of the gas in the discharge zone and low toluene concentration, when the main reaction product was CO2 with selectivities of 80%-85%. The addition of the catalysts led to a 15%-20% increase in toluene conversion with respect to the values obtained in the plasma, due to oxidation with ozone on the catalyst surface. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.