| AVS 57th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Plasma Science and Technology | Thursday Sessions |
| Session PS-ThP |
| Session: | Plasma Science and Technology Poster Session |
| Presenter: | S.H. Wang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, Republic of China |
| Authors: | S.H. Wang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, Republic of China H.W. Chang, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, Republic of China C.C. Hsu, National Taiwan University, Taiwan, Republic of China |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Plasmas in salt solution have shown to be reactive due to the produce of reactive species such as OH, H, O, and H2O2. In this study, interactions between the plasma in salt solutions and organic compounds are studied. The plasma is ignited in sodium-, zinc-, or calcium-containing salt solutions using DC or AC power sources. The electrode at which the plasma is ignited is a platinum wire 0.5 mm in diameter covered by a glass tube while the grounding electrode is a bare platinum wire of the same diameter. Cellulose, glucose and lactose are used as the organic compounds studied. Diagnostics include a voltage probe and a current probe to monitor the electrical characteristics; the conductivity and pH of the solution before and after the plasma treatment are monitored; an optical emission spectrometer is used to monitor the time-averaged emission spectra. It is observed that with the existence of the cellulose particles in the solution, the plasma appears to be much less stable. In addition, a much stronger light emission and larger current fluctuations are seen. This is possibly due to the fact that stable bubble is not able to form due to the existence of the cellulose particles. When glucose or lactose are added in NaCl solution, a much brighter plasma is seen and the optical emission shows a hump-like continuous emission band between 400~800 nm while this emission band does not exist without the addition of glucose and lactose. The total organic carbon (TOC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements strongly suggest the possibilities that the cellulose, glucose, and lactose are decomposed due to the interaction with the plasma ignited in salt solution, especially when the plasma electrode is negatively biased. The identification of the decomposed products is currently underway. In this presentation, how the existence of the organic compounds influences the plasma behavior and how the organic compounds are decomposed in the plasma will be discussed.