Odor control using the AC barrier-type plasma reactors

Odor control from living environment has become of increased concern. In a previous paper, we investigated the removal of acetaldehyde (CH/sub 3/CHO), which is one of the main odor components in cigarette smoke using the barrier-type packed-bed plasma reactor. In the present paper, we reported on the new results of acetaldehyde and ammonia (NH/sub 3/) which is another odor component of cigarette smoke. In the experiment, two kinds of AC nonthermal plasma reactor were used. One is the packed-bed plasma reactor used in the previous paper, the other is the film-type plasma reactor consisting of laminated parallel aluminum plate electrodes. This reactor has lower pressure drop and higher energy efficiency than the packed-bed plasma reactor. In the experimental results using the packed-bed plasma reactor, more than 95% of acetaldehyde removal efficiency was obtained under dry air and N/sub 2/ environment. As for NH/sub 3/ removal, almost 100% removal efficiency was obtained with minimum reaction byproduct under dry air environment. In the experimental results using the film-type plasma reactor, it was confirmed that more than 90% of acetaldehyde removal efficiency could be obtained when the applied voltage is 8 kV (SED=391 J/L). The by-products were quantified using an FTIR. The induced HNO/sub 3/ reacted with NH/sub 3/ to produce NH/sub 4/NO/sub 3/ aerosol. In treatment of cigarette smoke, one of the main odor components NH/sub 3/ can be completely removed. However, complete removal of another main odor component CH/sub 3/CHO was somewhat difficult because of its low concentration.