Degradation of volatile hydrocarbon waste gases by non-equilibrium plasma in normal-pressure

A kind of non-equilibrium plasma engendered by silent discharge was utilized to dispose polluted air containing volatile hydrocarbons (hexane, cyclohexane, benzene and toluene) vapor. The research result was that the polluted air which contained 0.26%, 0.79% and 1.3% of hexane (V/V), after discharged for 1 second at 12 kV, the degradation of hexane was 88%, 81.8% and 64.9% respectively; and in the same condition, the polluted air which contained 0.26% of cyclohexane, benzene and toluene were degraded after 1 second discharge, the degradation rates were 87.4%, 81% and 70.3% respectively, with the main products of CO2 and H2O. The influences of pollutant concentration and oxygen concentration on the degradation of volatile hydrocarbons by non-equilibrium plasma method were also studied.