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Updated: Jul 2, 2026

An Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Setup to Investigate the Reactive Species Formation
Published on: November 3, 2016
[Effects of gas compositions on the oxidation of gas phase elementary mercury by non-thermal plasma]
Ping Tang1, Tian-le Zhu, Huan Li
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing 100083, China. apple_0426@163.com
Abstract:
The effects of flue gas compositions such as NO, SO2, CO, H2O on elementary mercury oxidation by non-thermal plasma induced by positive streamer discharge were experimentally investigated by using a link tooth wheel-cylinder reactor. The results showed that the oxidation of elementary mercury decreased in the presence of CO2 and NO, which was attributed to the reduction of number of the active radicals reacted with elementary mercury. Adding 670 mg/m3 NO, only 37% elementary mercury was oxidized when the voltage was 9.5 kV. And CO was produced because of the reaction between CO2 and active radicals. The presence of SO2 resulted in an increase of elementary mercury oxidation, and white HgSO4 and Hg2SO4 were formed, little elementary mercury was detected at the outlet of the reactor when the voltage was 10 kV. Similarly, H2O and HCI promoted the oxidation of elementary mercury, which may be due to the formation of oxidative *OH and the presence of Cl- ions. The total mercury concentration dramatically decreased after the discharge reactor because the charging mercury was collected.
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