DECOMPOSITION OF ACETALDEHYDE IN AIR IN A DIELECTRIC BARRIER DISCHARGE

An experimental study of the decomposition of acetaldehyde in a dry air mixture has been carried out using a dielectric barrier discharge. Operating parameters that affect the CH₃CHO destruction efficiency include the gas mixture composition, the applied voltage, and the gas residence time in the reactor. The plasma is produced in a narrow gap by a dielectric barrier discharge at low applied voltage, 40 kHz. An isotopic labeling (CD₃CHO) is used with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry identification of the formed stabilized species in order to investigate the mechanism of acetaldehyde decomposition, and especially the CH₃^• radical stability. Additionally, the influence of the plasmagen gas mixture composition on the chemical reaction pathways in the discharge has been studied.