Effect of CO2 on Nonthermal-Plasma Reactions of Nitrogen Oxides in N2. 2. Percent-Level Concentrations

Both NO x conversion and CO 2 conversion decrease with increasing percent-level CO 2 concentration in nonthermal nitrogen plasma. The rate constants of electron collision reactions of both N 2 and CO 2 decrease with increasing CO 2 concentration because electronegative CO 2 reduces electron concentrations in the reactor due to the electron attachment process. The rate constant of CO 2 dissociation through electron collision is 1−2 orders of magnitude higher than that of N 2 dissociation because of low dissociation energy of CO 2 . Model data for reactor outlet NO x and CO x concentrations agree well with experimental data. The effect of CO 2 on NO, NO 2, N 2 O, and CO concentrations can be explained on the basis of the proposed reaction mechanism and kinetic modeling.