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Superlocal chemical reaction equilibrium in low temperature plasma
Author(s) -
Uner Necip B.,
Thimsen Elijah
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
aiche journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.958
H-Index - 167
eISSN - 1547-5905
pISSN - 0001-1541
DOI - 10.1002/aic.16948
Subject(s) - chemistry , residence time (fluid dynamics) , chemical equilibrium , thermodynamics , plasma , equilibrium constant , thermodynamic equilibrium , chemical reaction , atmospheric pressure , chemical reactor , dielectric barrier discharge , reversible reaction , steady state (chemistry) , analytical chemistry (journal) , chromatography , organic chemistry , physics , meteorology , geotechnical engineering , electrode , engineering , catalysis , quantum mechanics
Low temperature plasmas (LTP) are a unique class of open‐driven systems in which chemical reactions are unpredictable using established concepts. The terminal state of chemical reactions in LTP, termed the superlocal equilibrium state, is hypothesized to be defined by a proposed set of state variables. Using a LTP reactor wherein the state variables have been measured, it is shown that CO 2 spontaneously splits and the effluent speciation is independent of the influent speciation if the state variables are held constant and the residence time is long. CO 2 conversion at long residence times, which is expected to be nominally zero from equilibrium thermodynamics, can be as high as 70% in the LTP. The employed low pressure plasma reactor ( P = 10 mbar) had a similar volume, productivity, and energy efficiency compared to an atmospheric pressure dielectric barrier discharge reactor, thanks to reaction rates that were three orders of magnitude faster.