Plasma Chem Plasma Process(2010)30:33–42

DOI10.1007/s11090-009-9206-y

O R I G I N A L P A P E R

Performance of an Ozone Decomposition Catalyst

in Hybrid Plasma Reactors for Volatile Organic Compound Removal

Atsushi Ogata?Keiichi Saito?Hyun-Ha Kim?Masami Sugasawa?

Hirofumi Aritani?Hisahiro Einaga

Received:30August2009/Accepted:22November2009/Published online:10December2009

óSpringer Science+Business Media,LLC2009

Abstract In order to enhance the energy ef?ciency of nonthermal plasma methods for volatile organic compound decomposition in a catalyst-hybrid plasma reactor,we used a Cu–Cr catalyst to dissociate ozone into active atomic oxygen species at low temperatures. We investigated the conditions necessary to obtain the synergetic effect in single-stage and two-stage combinations.The ozone decomposition catalyst was not effective for the reaction under plasma discharge in the single-stage combination.In the two-stage com-bination,the ef?ciency increased by increasing the amount of catalyst.Although the propensity of catalysts for active oxygen species formation from ozone decomposition is important for optimizing the reaction ef?ciency,the surface area is even more important. We conclude that ozone decomposition catalysts are more effective in the two-stage combination compared to the single-stage.

Keywords Volatile organic compoundáDecompositionáCatalystá

OzoneáNonthermal plasma

Introduction

In nonthermal plasma methods of volatile organic compound(VOC)decomposition, various combinations of catalysts have been used to enhance energy ef?ciency and sup-press formation of byproducts[1–4].When a catalyst was placed directly under a plasma atmosphere in the single-stage combination,three types of mechanisms had been proposed A.Ogata(&)áK.SaitoáH.-H.KimáM.Sugasawa

Research Institute for Environmental Management Technology,National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology(AIST),16-1Onogawa,Tsukuba,Ibaraki305-8569,Japan

e-mail:atsushi-ogata@aist.go.jp

K.SaitoáH.Aritani

Department of Life Science and Green Chemistry,Saitama Institute of Technology,

Fukaya369-0293,Japan

H.Einaga

Department of Energy and Material Sciences,Kyushu University,Kasuga816-8580,Japan