Study of SO2 Removal Using Non-thermal Plasma Induced by Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD)

Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) non-thermal plasma reactors built with three different dielectric materials for SO₂ removal were studied. The discharge characteristics of the three dielectrics, namely glass, Teflon, and glass fiber-based epoxy resin, were analyzed using Lissajous figures. From the Lissajous figures, the transition charge and energy deposition for each dielectric material were determined. When both the discharge characteristics and mechanical processability were considered, glass fiber-based epoxy resin was regarded as the best dielectric barrier among the three for DBD plasma reactors. A multi-cell DBD reactor built with glass fiber-based epoxy resin was used for treating air stream containing SO₂. SO₂ % removal decreased with increasing initial SO₂ concentration in a biphasic fashion. SO₂ removal was greatly improved by adding NH₃ into the air stream. Raising the relative humidity of the air stream also helped SO₂ removal. A SEM (scanning electron microscope) test illustrated some changes in surface morphology of Teflon and glass fiber-based epoxy resin.