Simulation of the Degradation of Methyl Red by Gliding Arc Plasma

S. Cavadias [1], B. Trifi [2], S. Ognier[1], and N. Bellakhal[3]
[1]Laboratoire de Génie des Procédés Plasma et Traitement de Surface, Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
[2]Laboratoire de Chimie Analytique et Electrochimie, Département de Chimie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisie
[3]Département de Chimie et de Biologie Appliquées, Institut National des Sciences Appliquées et de Technologie, B.P. N°676, 1080 Tunis Cedex, Tunis, Tunisie
Published in 2011

The use of plasmas for the treatment industrial effluents provides a new alternative to the decontamination of wastewater. The strong oxidizing species (O,O3, OH) generated by the plasma, at room temperature, can oxidise organic pollutants present in the water. Our simulation deals with the degradation of methyl red by a Glidarc humid air plasma producing active species, mainly OH, that can diffuse in the liquid phase and react with the pollutant until his oxidation.

The degradation of the methyl red, performed in a horizontal laminar film reactor, was simulated using COMSOL, in a 1D and a 2D convection diffusion (chcdp) model, where OH° in the liquid film reacts with the methyl red giving CO2. Preliminary calculations show that the penetration depth of OH° is about 0.5mm.