Investigation of hydrocarbon oil transformation by gliding arc discharge: comparison of batch and recirculated configurations

The degradation of liquid dodecane was studied in a gliding arc discharge (GAD) of humid argon or nitrogen. A batch or recirculating configuration was used. The products in the gaseous and liquid phase were analysed by infrared and chromatography and optical emission spectroscopy was used to identify the excited species in the discharge. The best degradation performance comes from the use of humid N 2 but a GAD of humid argon produces fewer gas-phase products but more liquid-phase end-products. A wide range of products such as heavier saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbons both aliphatic and aromatic, and oxidation products mainly alcohols, but also aldehydes, ketones and esters are produced in the liquid-phase. The recirculating treatment mode is more effective than the batch mode increasing the reactivity and changing the product selectivities. Overall, the study shows promising results for the organic liquid waste treatment, especially in the recirculating mode.