Decomposition of Nitrogen Trifluoride Using Low Power Arc Plasma

The low power arc plasma is characterized by extremely high enthalpy and temper- ature and it is easy to generate and control, and thus thermal decomposition process based on the plasma torch is receiving a great attention for decomposing non-degradable greenhouse gases. In order to elevate the economic feasibility, the effects of input power, waste gas flow rate and additive gases on the destruction and removal efficiency (DRE) of NF ₃ are examined. Specific energy density (SED) deceases as the flow rate increases, and accordingly, the DRE is reduced. The DRE is basically determined by the specific energy density. The highest DRE of NF 3 was 97% for the waste gas flow rate of 100 L/min at a low input power level of 2 kW with the help of hydrogen additional gas. The inlet and outlet concentration of NF ₃ was analyzed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) for DRE of NF 3 evaluation. As a result, large amount of NF ₃ can be efficiently decomposed by low power arc plasma systems.