Production and reactivity of the hydroxyl radical in homogeneous high pressure plasmas of atmospheric gases containing traces of light olefins

Abstract

A photo-triggered discharge has been used to study the production kinetic mechanisms and the reactivity of the hydroxyl radical in a N2/O2 mixture (5% oxygen) containing ethane or ethene for hydrocarbon concentration values in the range 1000–5000 ppm, at 460 mbar total pressure. The discharge (current pulse duration of 60 ns) has allowed the generation of a transient homogeneous non-equilibrium plasma, and the time evolution of the OH density has been measured (relative value) in the afterglow (up to 200 µs) by laser induced fluorescence (LIF). Experimental results have been explained using predictions of a self-consistent 0D discharge and plasma reactivity modelling, and reduced kinetic schemes for OH have been validated. It has been shown that recombination of H- and O-atoms, as well as reaction of O with the hydroperoxy radical HO2, plays a very important role in the production of OH radicals in the mixture with ethane. H is a key species for production of OH and HO2 radicals. As for ethane, O, H and HO2 are key species for the production of OH in the case of ethene, but carbonated radicals, following the partial oxidation of the hydrocarbon molecule by O, also play a non-negligible role. The rate constant for O- and H-atom recombination has been estimated to be 3 × 10−30 cm6 s−1 at near ambient temperature, consistent with LIF measurements on OH for both mixtures with ethane and ethene.