Opportunities for process intensification using non-thermal plasmas

In non-thermal plasmas (NTPs), molecules and atoms are activated and excited by strong electric fields resulting in nonequilibrium between the species, unlike very high temperatures required by ‘thermal plasmas’ as a result of the equilibrium temperature between the species. As such, various chemical reactions can be activated by NTPs at relatively low temperatures and ambient pressure in NTPs, even where temperatures of 100s or even 1000s of oC required using conventional chemistry. This opens many diverse opportunities for the intensification of manufacturing processes. This review will give an overview of some of the key opportunities for the application of NTPs for PI in the chemical industry. © 2023 The Authors