DC corona electric discharges for air pollution control. Part 1. Efficiency and products of hydrocarbon processing.

A large (ca 0.7 L) wire-cylinder benchtop reactor was developed and tested for DC corona processing of VOC (volatile organic compound)-contaminated air at room temperature and pressure. The aim of our research is the identification and rationalization of the chemical reactions responsible for VOC removal. Model hydrocarbons, n-hexane and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (i-octane), were used to characterize the process and compare the effects of DC corona polarity and of humidity on its energy efficiency and products. n-Hexane and i-octane behave very similarly. For both, the energy efficiency is significantly better with negative than with positive DC corona, especially in humid air. The effect of humidity is most interesting. Thus, while with -DC corona the process efficiency is significantly better in humid air, a slight inhibition is observed with +DC corona. Differences between +DC and -DC corona are also found in the amounts of volatile products formed, which include CO2, CO, and minor quantities of organic byproducts (aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and lower hydrocarbons). A significant fraction of the carbon originally present as VOC is, however, unaccounted for by the analysis of gaseous and volatile organic products and must, therefore, end up as nonvolatile materials and aerosols.