Aqueous-phase pulsed streamer corona reactor using suspended activated carbon particles for phenol oxidation: model-data comparison

A pulsed high-voltage electrical discharge that produces streamers, or regions of non-thermal plasma, has been shown to be useful for degrading small organic species in synthetic wastewater in a bench-scale experimental system. This process is an example of an advanced oxidation technology that leads to the formation of hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and aqueous electrons, which in turn lead to organic contaminant removal through direct chemical reactions. Experimental results show that with activated carbon particles present, the removal of organic contaminants is increased due to the combination of direct oxidation of the organic species in the bulk fluid by pulsed corona and adsorption of the organic species to the surface of the activated carbon. There exists also the possibility of reactions occurring on the surface of the activated carbon-induced by the electrical discharge, thus continually regenerating the activated carbon. The present study develops a mathematical model incorporating multicomponent bulk and surface phase reactions coupled with mass transfer, internal particle diffusion, and adsorption to the carbon particles. Comparison of experimental results and theory using phenol as a model compound implies surface reactions occurring on the activated carbon particles.