Oxidation of nitric oxide in a two-stage chemical scrubber using dc corona discharge

The de corona was studied as an alternative for NO oxidation in a two-stage chemical scrubber. The de corona plasma reactor completely oxidized 150 ppm of NO to NO2 in an air stream. The NO2 was further oxidized at a higher voltage. For some cases, the NO2 in the effluents of the plasma reactor was absorbed quantitatively by a caustic sodium sulfite aqueous solution in a 21 bubble column gas absorber. The outlet concentrations of both NO and NO2 from the plasma-scrubber combination system (corona-induced chemical scrubber) were below the detection limit of the chemiluminescent NOx analyzer. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.