Abstract
The factors affecting byproduct distributions in the nonthermal plasma chemical processing of VOCs were investigated for methanol, dichloromethane, toluene, and their binary mixtures. The byproduct distribution was greatly affected by the chemical structures of VOCs, background gas composition, and reactor energy density. The reaction modes of byproduct formation from VOCs were classified into three categories depending on reaction conditions: thermal cleavage of covalent bonds, 2) radical recombination, 3) incorporation of nitrogen atoms from gaseous N_2, and 4) oxygenation of VOC fragments. Since they were formed through hemolytic processes, addition of gaseous oxygen drastically decreased numbers and amounts of the organic byproducts. Addition of oxygen and water, and increase of reactor energy density were also effective in decomposing intermediate oxidation byproducts.
