Effect of catalysts on the reaction of non-thermal plasma partial oxidation of C₄H₁₀

Elimination of leaked C₄H₁₀ (simulated LPG) in confined spaces is a major challenge in emergency response, and the recently proposed non-thermal plasma (NTP) partial oxidation method provides a new approach but still suffers from low conversion and high CO selectivity, so this paper investigates the effectiveness of the NTP co-catalytic method. MO_x-Al₂O₃ (M=Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn or Co) catalysts were prepared using an impregnation method, and their effect on the reaction was investigated through the NTP co-catalyzed partial oxidation of C₄H₁₀ to liquid chemicals, and a possible reaction mechanism was proposed. For 15 % initial C₄H₁₀ concentration, 0.66 L/min gas flow rate, and 30 W discharge power, the best catalyst MnO_x-Al₂O₃ obtained 56.0 % C₄H₁₀ conversion, 91.8 % liquid products selectivity (99.2 % and 2.9 % higher than catalyst-free, respectively), and 2.7 % CO selectivity (14.7 % lower than catalyst-free). The synergistic effect of catalyst oxidation and alkalinity on the reaction was investigated by H₂-TPR and CO₂-TPD characterization analysis. The oxidation of the catalyst mainly affects the oxidative conversion mechanism of C₄H₁₀, and the alkalinity mainly affects the mechanism of liquid product selection, but the oxidative conversion mechanism of the catalyst forms an inhibitory effect on the mechanism of liquid product selection. This study provides valuable insights into the effect of catalysts on NTP reactions and improves the feasibility of NTP methods for eliminating explosion risks.