Reactive molecular plasmas

Production of N and O atoms has been investigated by NO titration in flowing reactors for research study (5 litre) and for industrial applications (900 litre). The two reactors differ by the chamber volumes and compositions: pyrex glass for the small and steel for the big one. In the same conditions of pressure, power density and post-discharge time, it is measured about the same values of N-atom density inside the two reactors but the O-atom density is nearly one order of magnitude lower in the industrial one. Such a difference is explained from variations of destruction probability of N and O atoms on the reactor walls and by consideration of scaling up parameters. Such flowing reactors are applied to metal surface cleaning, polymer activation by O atoms and to sterilization processes by a synergetic effect of O atoms and UV emission of NO bands.