CHAIN MECHANISM FOR INITIATION OF HYDROCARBON OXIDATION REACTIONS IN A LOW-TEMPERATURE PLASMA

A self-consistent model is used for a numerical study of the kinetics of plasma-chemical reactions initiated in a low-temperature gas-discha rge plasma in an atmospheric-pressure CH4O2 mixture. An analysis is ma de of a chain mechanism for the formation of radicals in ion-molecular processes involving water and oxygen molecules, which can appreciably reduce the energy consumption needed to form the oxidation products. It is shown that under the conditions of a non-self-sustained, electro n-beam-initiated, atmospheric-pressure discharge the energy consumptio n needed to produce methanol molecules may, at a few eV, be between fo ur and fives times lower than that in a self-sustained discharge. (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.