Plasma treatment of porous polymeric materials is a critical technology for creating new polymer materials that can be used in various applications. Porous polymers can be used in new approaches for creation of safe and compact hydrogen storage systems that can dramatically change existing hydrogen energy utilization. There are other potential applications for the development of new types of biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric materials for general use and for creation of new types of implants and dressing materials in medicine. Clarification of breakdown conditions of narrow discharge gaps in the micrometer region and optimization of the treatment process for different gap dimensions is the goal of this paper. The article is devoted to the experimental study of the breakdown process in the discharge gap by pulsed barrier discharge at different pressures and gaps in the region of the minimum of the Paschen curve. New approximation of the Paschen curve with the variable γ as a function of Pd, which is in good correlation with experimental results, has been proposed. A new approach is proposed for treating the inner surface of dielectric material pores with a barrier discharge, optimizing the pressure inside the pores; treating pores of a micron size requires a pressure significantly higher than atmospheric. The first results were obtained, which demonstrated the possibility of modifying the thickness of the polymer material by treatment with the barrier discharge at the time of gas pressure relief in the discharge chamber.

Under the DOE Office of Industrial Technologies Forest Products program various plasma technologies were evaluated under project FWP 49885 "Experimental Assessment of Low-Temperature Plasma Technologies for Treating Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Pulp Mills and Wood Products Plants". The heterogeneous pulsed corona discharge was chosen as the best non-equilibrium plasma technology for control of the vent emissions from HVLC Brownstock Washers. The technology for removal of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from gas emissions with conditions typical of the exhausts of the paper industry by means of pulsed corona plasma techniques presented in this work. For the compounds of interest in this study (methanol, acetone, dimethyl sulfide and α -pinene), high removal efficiencies were obtained with power levels competitive with the present technologies for the VOCs removal. Laboratory experiments were made using installation with the average power up to 20 W. Pilot plant prepared for on-site test has average plasma power up to 6.4 kW. The model of the Pilot Plant operation is presented.

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