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DOE OSTI · 2007310

Modular Plasma Microreactor for Intensified Hydrogen Peroxide Production

Cameli, Fabio·Dimitrakellis, Panagiotis·Chen, Tai-Ying·Vlachos, Dionisios G.
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Abstract

Sustainable and decentralized manufacturing of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) has been extensively sought to replace the energy- and waste-intensive anthraquinone process. We introduce a helical biphasic microreactor in a coaxial dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) configuration as a modular, adaptable, and scalable intensified unit for H 2 O 2 production. Geometric and operating parameters such as electrode length, applied voltage, and gas and liquid flow rates can be tuned to regulate the residence time, delivered power, and gas–liquid interfacial area. In turn, these affect the key output parameters, i.e., H 2 O 2 concentration, production rate, and energy yield. We found a direct correlation between the H 2 O 2 production rate and the product of the interfacial area and residence time in the plasma region. We investigated the H 2 O 2 formation pathways using DMSO as an ·OH radical scavenger and found that H 2 O 2 forms by the dissolution of gaseous H 2 O 2 at low interfacial areas and is enhanced probably due to the interfacial recombination of ·OH radicals at a large gas–liquid interfacial area. The reactor temperature can also be externally controlled to intensify the production rate and energy yield of H 2 O 2 . Concentrations of up to 33 mM can be attained with a small footprint reactor that features a maximum energy yield of 4 g kWh –1 . Here, the plasma microreactor could epitomize a powerful process intensification tool for sustainable and distributed chemical manufacturing.

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37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRYbiphasic plasma microreactorcoaxial dielectric barrier dischargeelectrodeshydrogen peroxideliquidsmicrofluidicsmicroreactorsplasmapowerprocess intensification

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Cameli, Fabio, Dimitrakellis, Panagiotis, Chen, Tai-Ying, Vlachos, Dionisios G.. 2022-01-28. Modular Plasma Microreactor for Intensified Hydrogen Peroxide Production. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c06973

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