Decomposition of Benzene Using Ag/TiO2 Packed Plasma-Driven Catalyst Reactor: Influence of Electrode Configuration and Ag-Loading Amount

This paper describes the effects of electrode configuration and the loading amount of Ag catalyst on the decomposition of gas-phase benzene using plasma-driven catalyst (PDC) reactors. Modification of ground electrode brought out a great enhancement in the energy efficiency for benzene decomposition by reducing abnormal discharges outside the reactor tube. The data of carbon balance and the selectivity of CO₂ indicated that the Ag catalyst played an important role in the decomposition of benzene, especially for the intermediates. The larger the Ag-loading amounts on the TiO₂, the better the performance of benzene decomposition in terms of the carbon balance and the selectivity of CO₂. Formation of NO₂ and N₂O indicated that the maximum specific input energy applicable to the PDC reactor should be determined not only by the decomposition efficiency but also by the formation of nitrogen oxides.