Application of plasma for efficient H2 production: A realism of copper electrode in single dielectric barrier discharge reactor

Effective transformation of moisture into hydrogen in argon containing 100% relative humidity employing dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma is reported. The coaxial reactor with a common outer Pyrex tube having an inner diameter of 14 mm accompanied by a central electrode combination is employed for H2 generation through water splitting. Three different central electrodes such as Pyrex (double dielectric surfaces), copper (Cu), and stainless steel (SS) [single dielectric (SD) surface] are used separately, investigating the H2 production efficiency with the variation of gas residence time (GRT), electric field, working frequency, electrode surface, and discharge gas-gap (GG). Optimal electric fields 3.5, 1.7, and 1.3 kV mm−1 at 14.5 kHz are required for the highest H2 production at 45 s GRT for Pyrex, SS, and Cu reactors, respectively. The utmost H2 productions 2500 and 4500 ppmv are observed with 100 mm long, 4 mm GG and 290 mm long, 2 mm GG Cu SD reactors, respectively.