Electron beam and pulsed corona processing of volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides

Abstract

Electrical discharge reactors are most suitable for processes requiring O radicals. For processes requiring copious amounts of electrons or N atoms, the use of electron beam reactors is generally the best way of minimizing the electrical energy consumption. For many of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) the authors have investigated, they found that electron beam processing is more energy efficient than pulsed corona processing. For VOCs (such as carbon tetrachloride) that require copious amounts of electrons for their decomposition, electron beam processing is remarkably more energy efficient. For some VOCs, the decomposition process is limited by their reaction rate with the plasma-produced radicals and/or by the occurrence of back reactions. In these cases, the energy consumption can be minimized by operating at high (but noncombusting) temperatures.