This work investigated the destruction of a halogenated carbon (trichloromethane) using different types of nonthermal plasma reactors. Three reactors, i.e., a surface discharge reactor, a dielectric-packed bed reactor and a barrier discharge reactor with a perforated dielectric tube, were compared with respected to the trichloromethane destruction efficiency. The effect of oxygen content and input power on the trichloromethane destruction was examined, and the byproducts were analyzed to elucidate the destruction pathways. The dielectric-packed bed reactor was found to show better performance in the trichloromethane destruction than the other two reactors. The increase in the oxygen content decreased the destruction efficiency, and the highest destruction efficiency was obtained at oxygen content 0.5%. The calculations for electron-molecule collisions indicated that the most abundant reactive species initiating the destruction of trichloromethane are metastable nitrogen molecules. The major byproducts were CO and Cl 2 , and the formations of NO 2 and N 2 O were also significant.

Nonthermal plasma destruction of trifluoromethane (CHF