DETOXIFICATION OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE IN A LOW-PRESSURE SURFACE-WAVE PLASMA REACTOR

Application of surface wave plasmas as an alternative technology far t he destruction and removal of chlorinated hydrocarbon pollutants is de monstrated. The destruction of parts per thousand concentrations of tr ichloroethylene in air/water or oxygen mixtures has been investigated in a low-pressure reactor at 5 Torr. Effluent analysis included the de termination of destruction and removal efficiencies by electron captur e gas chromatography and product distribution by Fourier transform inf rared spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and titrimetric analysis. TCE c onversions of up to 99.998% were achieved using radio frequency power densities ranging from 1.6 to 7.5 kJ/L and millisecond range residence times within the plasma. Product analysis indicated that trichloroeth ylene conversion was limited to light gases, primarily CO2, CO, HCl, a nd Cl-2.