Electrical and reaction performances of packed‐bed plasma reactors moderated with ferroelectric or dielectric materials
Ana Gómez‐Ramírez, Rafael Álvarez, Paula Navascués, F.J. García-García, Alberto Palmero, J. Cotrino, Agustı́n R. González-Elipe
Abstract
Abstract The operational behavior of packed‐bed plasma reactors depends on the dimension, shape, and chemical properties of the pellets used as moderators, but little information exists about the influence of their specific dielectric properties. Herein, we comparatively study the electrical behavior of a packed‐bed reactor filled with pellets of either dielectric (Al 2 O 3 and glass) or ferroelectric (BaTiO 3 and lead zirconate titanate) materials. We found that plasma current was higher for ferroelectrics and presented a nonlineal dependence on voltage. Moreover, for BaTiO 3 , we found a drastic decrease at around its relatively low Curie temperature. Differences in electrical behavior have a direct effect on the reactor performance, as illustrated for the ammonia synthesis, demonstrating the importance of moderator material dielectric properties and their dependence on temperature.