| AVS 62nd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Advanced Surface Engineering | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session SE+PS+SM-TuM |
| Session: | Atmospheric Pressure Plasmas, CVD and Other Deposition Methods |
| Presenter: | Ladislav Bardos, Uppsala University, Sweden |
| Authors: | L. Bardos, Uppsala University, Sweden H. Barankova, Uppsala University, Sweden |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Experiments using spark discharge above the water level were reported already in 1784 by Henry Cavendish after his study of air. His results inspired in 1894 Lord Rayleigh and William Ramsay and led to an important discovery of argon present in air. Studies of water electrolysis and interactions of a glow discharge with water solutions were described in 1887 by J. Gubkin and followed in 1952 by R.A. Davies and A. Hickling. The first type of plasma discharge submerged directly into water was an arc. The arc discharges are used for the underwater welding already since 1930. A number of applications of submerged arcs have already been tested and reported. Rapid developments of non-thermal (cold) atmospheric plasma sources during last century led to new studies of plasma in liquids. Studies of the plasma-assisted electrolysis and different phenomena observed on surfaces of electrodes during electrolysis in water electrolytes enhanced an interest in different types of submerged discharges. New processes were developed like the plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), formation of nanoparticles and nanotubes, novel plasma-chemical reactions, plasma cleaning, disinfection and "activation" of water or water solutions. This presentation summarizes several interesting systems and results on the submerged plasma in liquids. Examples of the experimental systems and the results of tests of cold plasma discharges in water using different power generators and an efficient low power production of hydrogen from the mixtures of water with ethanol will be presented and discussed in more details.