Investigation of the Relative Reactivity of Unsaturated Volatile Organic Compounds in Air Under the Action of Pulsed Corona Discharge Plasma

Abstract

Unsaturated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are an important pollutant of industrial ventilation air emissions. The presence of a double bond in the composition of their molecules increases their reactivity with respect to plasma components generated by a pulsed corona discharge. This paper presents studies of the influence of the nature and structure of unsaturated VOCs on the efficiency of their destruction under the action of pulsed corona discharge with a duration of 20–45 ns. The method of competing reactions based on the investigation of mixtures of the studied compounds is proposed as a research tool. The method allows us to determine the relative reactivity of compounds with high accuracy and identify the main mechanisms. The obtained results showed that the cleaning efficiency for compounds that do not contain chlorine in their composition correlates well with their reactivity with respect to ozone. Halogen-containing unsaturated compounds, in contrast, are resistant to ozone and are removed more efficiently in nitrogen than in air. The found regularities will be useful for the development of air purification systems in the production of plastics and processes involving halogen-containing solvents.