Effect of electronegative impurities on the generation of ozone in air

A self-consistent numerical model is used to investigate the effect of electronegative impurities on the ozone yield in a dielectric barrier discharge with a pulsed voltage supply, and the range of impurity concentrations giving a substantial (two- or threefold) increase in the ozone yield is established. Sulfur hexafluoride is considered as a representative component having strong electronegative properties. It is shown that a tiny admixture [SF6] <0.1% can have an appreciable effect on the characteristics of an ozonator. The calculations are compared with published experimental data and given an interpretation. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S1063-7842(99)00701-1].