Decomposition of trifluoromethane in a dielectric barrier discharge non-thermal plasma reactor.

The decomposition of trifluoromethane (CHF3) was carried out using non-thermal plasma generated in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor. The effects of reactor temperature, electric power, initial concentration and oxygen content were examined. The DBD reactor was able to completely destroy CHF3 with alumina beads as a packing material. The decomposition efficiency increased with increasing electric power and reactor temperature. The destruction of CHF3 gradually increased with the addition of O2 up to 2%, but further increase in the oxygen content led to a decrease in the decomposition efficiency. The degradation pathways were explained with the identified by-products. The main by-products from CHF3 were found to be COF2, CF4, CO2 and CO although the COF2 and CF4 disappeared when the plasma were combined with alumina catalyst.