(37a) A Comparison of the Decompositions of Benzene and Toluene As Tar Representatives Using Non-Thermal Plasma

Non-thermal plasma is being considered as an alternative technology to decompose gasification tars. In this study, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was used to remove the tar representatives (benzene and toluene) in a model product gas (CH₄, CO₂, CO and H₂). The effect of specific input energy (SIE) (2.05-16 kWh/m³), residence time (0.95-2.82s), and temperature (20-400^oC) were studied. The decomposition of benzene and toluene increased with increasing SIE and residence time. At ambient temperatures, the formation of lower hydrocarbons, and solid residue occurred. This would be a significant operational problem, but here we show that the effect can be significantly reduced by operation at higher temperatures. In the presence of plasma at 400 ^oC, solid formation was substantially reduced. At the same time, selectivity to lower hydrocarbons increased from 31 to 74 % and 36 to 79 % for toluene and benzene, respectively. However, the decomposition of CO₂ and CH₄ decreased with increasing the temperature.