Abstract
The deposits formed during the DBD plasma conversion of CH4 were characterized by high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) and energy dispersive X-ray elemental analysis (EDX) for both cases of a non-packed reactor and a packed reactor. For the non-packed plasma reactor, a layer of deposits was formed on the dielectric surface. HRSEM images in combination with EDX and CHN elemental analysis of this layer revealed that the deposits are made of a polymer-like layer with a high content of hydrogen (60 at%), possessing an amorphous structure. For the packed reactor, γ-alumina, Pd/γ-alumina, BaTiO3, silica-SBA-15, MgO/Al2O3, and α-alumina were used as the packing materials inside the DBD discharges. Carbon-rich agglomerates were formed on the γ-alumina after exposure to plasma. The EDX mapping furthermore indicated the carbon-rich areas in the structure. In contrast, the formation of agglomerates was not observed for Pd-loaded γ-alumina. This was ascribed to the presence of Pd, which enhances the hydrogenation of deposit precursors, and leads to a significantly lower amount of deposits. It was further found that the structure of all other plasma-processed materials, including MgO/Al2O3, silica-SBA-15, BaTiO3, and α-alumina, undergoes morphological changes. These alterations appeared in the forms of the generation of new pores (voids) in the structure, as well as the moderation of the surface roughness towards a smoother surface after the plasma treatment.
Highlights
Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM)/Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) studies have been extensively utilized to analyse the surface morphology of catalyst samples
Tu et al [4] reported the treatment of NiO/Al2O3 using H2/Ar DBD plasma at atmospheric pressure and low temperature (
In this article, the deposits formed during the plasma conversion of CH4 for both the non-packed reactor and the reactor packed with different packing materials are characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) to study the deposits’ layer, as well as the structural changes of the catalyst samples after being exposed to CH4+Ar DBD plasma discharges
Summary
SEM/EDX studies have been extensively utilized to analyse the surface morphology of catalyst samples. Liu et al [5] studied the influence of non-thermal plasma on the catalytic properties of various metal-supported catalysts, such as Pt, Pd, and Ni on alumina and HZSM-5 as the supports These authors reported that the plasma treatment could remarkably enhance the dispersion of the metal on the surface of the support, increasing the activity of the catalyst at low temperatures by generating and redistributing the acidic and basic sites, as well as improving the stability of the catalyst. In this article, the deposits formed during the plasma conversion of CH4 for both the non-packed reactor and the reactor packed with different packing materials are characterized using high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HR-SEM) to study the deposits’ layer, as well as the structural changes of the catalyst samples after being exposed to CH4+Ar DBD plasma discharges. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) is utilized to analyse the elemental composition of the deposits to supplement the results obtained by HR-SEM
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