Experimental study of acetone removal by packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge reactor

• Acetone removal was conducted in packed-bed DBD reactors.
• The removal rate and energy yield was enhanced with γ-Al2O3 packed reactors.
• Reaction by-products were reduced in the presence of packing materials.
• The acetone degradation pathways are proposed based on the identified by-products.
• CH3 radical is considered to be playing a crucial role in acetone degradation.

In this study, a packed-bed dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor was developed for acetone removal. The effects of packing materials were investigated in terms of discharge characteristics, removal efficiency and byproducts formation. The identification of organic byproducts was conducted. The results indicated the presence of packing materials enhanced the energy density and exhibited a positive effect on acetone removal, while high oxygen concentration inhibited the removal of acetone. The formations of byproducts were significantly reduced in the presence of packing materials. The degradation pathways and mechanisms were discussed, showing CH3 radicals played a crucial role in the acetone degradation process.