Reactions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) leading to the formation of nitric acid (HNO3) in non-thermal plasmas (NTPs). White paper for the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) (Compliance Project CP-1038: Development of non-thermal plasma reactor technology for control of atmospheric emissions)

摘要

SERDP Compliance Project CP-1038 has been commissioned to evaluate and develop non-thermal plasma (NTP) reactor technology, a form of low-temperature plasma chemical processing, for Department of Defense (DoD) applications. The primary emphasis is on the control of emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), with a secondary emphasis on hazardous air pollutant (HAP) emission control (primarily volatile organic compounds--VOCs). In this white paper, the authors verify the NOx removal reactions in NTPs, especially those converging on nitric acid (HNO3) as a primary reaction product. The benefit of making HNO3 as a primary terminal de-NOx product is that it can be easily neutralized by relatively simple caustic (base) scrubbers--although the economics of scrubber systems needs to be compared with the conversion to particles that can be filtered or precipitated.