Inefficient cutting-edge plasma technology was reengineered for industrial exhaust gas treatment. It involved replacing conventional low-power transformers by radio frequency (RF) generators, which enable higher plasma energies and efficiency. Plasma electrodes required significant design improvement to manage such energies: Low-cost glass electrodes were be substituted with superior ceramic ones due to their dielectric properties, enhancing molecular activation. The system components must be housed in a gas-tight enclosure to meet industrial safety standards for high voltage protection and hazardous VOCs.
Chemical industry, combustion and production processes emit a wide array of harmful substances, including unreacted monomers like methyl acrylate, phenols, formaldehyde and various volatile organic compounds such as toluene and dichloromethane. These VOCs, comprising aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, and complex organics with heteroatoms, resulted in significant challenges due to their varying stability and energetic excitation. Systematic investigations on reference contaminants were essential to determine optimal plasma conditions and electrode designs for effective VOC removal, ensuring EMV compliance as well as with LRV (CH) and TA-Luft (GER) standards.
In collaboration with oxytec AG, several industrial sites were selected for implementation. This goal was successfully demonstrated in the exhaust gas treatment under real industrial conditions, addressing real gas flows and contaminants.
