Atmospheric pollutant removal by non-thermal plasmas: Basic data needs for understanding and optimization of the process

Since fifteen years, an increasing interest has been devoted to removal of atmospheric pollutant by non-thermal plasmas achieved using e-beams or pulsed discharges, for the nitrous oxides the so-called de-NOx process, or for Volatils Organic Compounds, the so-called de-VOC process. However the physical and chemical mechanisms involved are not easy to understand: molecules or gas mixtures are quite complex, and the transient plasma created by the type of discharge often used, dielectric barrier or corona ones, is non homogeneous in space. In this paper is discussed some data needs for understanding of the NO-removal process and the destruction of some selected VOC molecules, TCE and TCA, by pulsed discharge plasmas. Some experimental studies performed to get insight into the discharge plasma kinetic involved in the pollutant removal are presented, in particular about the hydroxyl radical OH which play an important role in this kinetic