(69b) CO2 Dissociation and Conversion Using Low-Temperature Plasma

Over the last century, steadily rising emissions from carbon-based fossil fuels have led to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and there is a large body of scientific evidence that supports the theory that this is the reason for global warming.  There is a serious research and development effort underway to find new technologies to mitigate CO₂ formation, capture and sequester, dissociate, or reuse CO₂ in chemical and manufacturing processes.   The thermodynamic energy requirement to dissociate or convert CO₂ into more useful products such as, carbon monoxide or solid carbon, is high and the challenge is to find ways to reduce the energy cost while integrating these new technologies into the current energy, chemical, and manufacturing infrastructure.  Low-temperature plasma technology is currently being explored for its unique ability to selectively excite CO₂ and promote dissociation.  There are many types of plasmas that have been employed for CO2 activation and dissociation including gliding arc, dielectric barrier discharge (DBD), pulsed corona, and microwave plasmas.  This presentation will provide an overview of the latest research in this area, as well as, some new results from an ongoing project at NETL for CO₂ conversion using a DBD plasma reactor in combination with traditional metal-based catalysts.