SYNERGETIC EFFECT OF UV LIGHT ON TOLUENE DECOMPOSITION BY DIELECTRIC BARRIER DISCHARGE

Decomposition of toluene in air was studied by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) on the one hand aswell as UV light as assistance to DBD on the other hand.Input energy to reaction chamber, flow rate of contaminated air, and concentration of toluene werestudied as parameters influencing on the decomposition rate of toluene by two methods.Increasing the input energy from 2.8 kV to 4.2 kV at flow rate 1 SLM was increased the decompositionrate of toluene from 3.5% to 10%. However the decomposition rate of toluene was decreased withincreasing both the flow rate and the concentration of toluene in a treated air.It was discovered synergetic effect of UV light assistance to DBD on toluene decomposition. Thedecomposition rate of toluene by UV assisted DBD was at least 3 times higher than by the DBD only,and 2 times higher than the sum of decomposition rates by the DBD and UV light made separately.Ozone concentration was decreased by UV assisted DBD in comparison with other one and this ratedepends on flow rate of a treated air.This effect was discussed due to reaction activities of different radicals obtained by interaction ofozone and UV light.