Nitrous oxide processing by a combination of gliding and microwave discharges

Non-thermal plasma of microwave discharge coupled with gliding discharge was applied to convert nitrous oxide. The experiments were carried out using air or oxygen as carrier gases for N2O (5%). The overall rates of nitrous oxide conversion determined for the N2O + air mixture were slightly higher than those for N2O + oxygen. No significant effect of the carrier gas (air or oxygen) on the rate of N2O -> NO conversion was observed. The effect of the power of the microwave discharge and gas flow rate (air) on the overall rate of nitrous oxide conversion and rate of N2O conversion to NO was studied. The increase of the gas flow rate from 200 to 400 N l/h resulted in an increase of the N2O conversion rates both overall (r) and to NO (r(NO)). For 400 N l/h, both rates were higher by about 80-100% than those determined in the experiments performed with 200 N l/h. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.