Enhanced decomposition of benzene by non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma with oxidized titanium electrode

A method is proposed for decomposing volatile organic compounds by atmospheric pressure non-thermal plasma with photocatalytic effects. We tried benzene decomposition by using an atmospheric pressure plasma system with an inner electrode made of stainless, titanium, and oxidized titanium. The electrode temperature was controlled typically between 100°C and 300°C. Dry air including benzene with a content of 1000 ppm was introduced into the plasma reactor. The benzene decomposition rate with the titanium electrode was higher than that with the stainless electrode. The benzene decomposition rate with the oxidized titanium electrode was higher than that with the titanium electrode. We consider that the enhanced benzene decomposition reaction with the oxidized titanium electrode is due to the photocatalytic effect of the oxidized layer. A specific energy density below 1800 J/L is required to achieve a benzene decomposition rate of 95%. © 2015 The Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan.