(339a) Corona Discharge Activation of Oxidative Species Using High Aspect Ratio Catalysts in Microchannel Devices At Reduced Corona Onset Potentials

Corona
Discharge Activation of Oxidative Speciesusing High Aspect Ratio Catalysts in Microchannel Devices at Reduced Corona Onset Potentials

Justin
Pommerenck, Peter Kreider,
Kevin Caple, Jordan Pommerenck,
and

Alexandre Yokochi

Activation of otherwise non-spontaneous chemical
reactions usually requires addition of external activating energy resources
including catalysts, sacrificial chemical energy sources (e.g., LiAlH4 in many
organic reactions), heat, ultrasound, light and high voltage electrical
discharge.  Recently, our lab has started
investigation of the activation of chemical reactions employing low voltage
electrical corona discharge.  We achieve
these ultra-low turn-on voltages for the corona discharge via the application
of high aspect ratio catalysts in microreactor
channels. Employing this approach we have demonstrated efficient and
inexpensive methods for advanced oxidation of chemical compounds including the
oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in wastewater treatment and of
sulfur containing species in petrochemical fuels.

In our recent work, microchannel
devices with varying channel heights were fabricated in order to characterize changes
in turn-on potential, corona radius development, oxidative potential and microreactor
conversion. A precursor to a predictive, finite-difference model has been
constructed for evaluation of the relative importance of reaction engineering
parameters.  In our presentation, results
of this ongoing research project will be discussed.