The catalytic effect of electronegative additives on removal of perchloroethylene vapor from air by pulsed corona discharge

It is established that electronegative additives (CCl$_4$, freon-113) produce a catalytic effect on the conversion of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) under the action of atmospheric-pressure nonequilibrium plasma generated in pulsed corona discharge. At concentrations below 0.1%, these additives significantly decrease the discharge current, but the energy efficiency of the process of VOC removal from air increases. The catalytic effect of electronegative additives on the VOC conversion in air and nitrogen is quantitatively demonstrated in the case of perchloroethylene C$_2$Cl$_4$ (PCE) vapor removal. The addition of 0.085% CCl$_4$ to air reduces the energy consumption for PCE removal at initial concentration of 0.09% by half (from 12 to 6 eV per molecule) at a 63% degree of cleaning. Mechanisms explaining the active inf luence of electronegative additives on the discharge current and the process of impurity removal are suggested.