Destruction of CFC 11 and CFC 12 using surface wave plasma abatement

CHED 824

Justine N. Geidosch, Michelle Frantzen, and John W. Bevan.
Chlorofluorocarbons were widely used as refrigerants until their ozone-depleting characteristics were recognized. The Montreal Protocol of 1987 outlawed CFCs and demanded a complete phase-out by 1996. Although alternative refrigerants are currently being used, CFC stockpiles exist and there is no standard method to destroy the compounds to an EPA-demanded Destruction and Removal Efficiency of 99.99%. One promising technique currently being investigated is the use of surface wave plasma abatement, which has already proven successful at the abatement of perfluorocompounds. This method uses a microwave-induced plasma to destroy the CFC, combined with vaporized water to prevent the reformation of the molecule and creating low molecular weight products. Specifically, this experiment investigated CFC 11, CCl3F, and CFC 12, CCl2F2, through a range of powers from 500W to 1950W. Also of interest in this experiment, it was shown that the presence of CO and O2 in the plasma affect the formation of HCl and HF, giving possibly insight as to the plasma mechanism of the experiment.