A new decomposition system for volatile organic compounds using combinations of dielectric barrier discharges with zeolite honeycomb sheets

A new decomposition system for volatile organic compounds (VOCs), based on dielectric barrier discharges combined with zeolite honeycomb sheets, has been developed. A discharge element was made of layered flat metal sheets covered with mica sheets separated by 2 mm, in which corrugated (honeycomb-shaped) ceramic sheets embedded with zeolites were inserted. This element was shown to satisfy the requirements of durability and flexibility to meet various sizes. Barrier discharges were investigated using this discharge element over wide ranges of operating conditions, in terms of the power consumption and decompositions of various types of VOCs. By selecting suitable operating scenarios, it was found that decomposition of more than 90% of most VOCs was possible, at reasonable power consumption and without electrode contamination by decomposition products. Finally, areas of competitive applications of the present system versus existing decomposition systems are also dicussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 168(1): 1–10, 2009; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.20736