Application of Pulsed Corona Discharges (PCD) On Degradation of Organic Dyes in Water Treatment

A corona discharge is an ionic and electronic emission from a high voltage corona, characterized by the formation and flow of positive and negative ions and electrons in an electric field between two or more electrodes. Advanced oxidation processes, such as photochemical and non-photochemical methods, are able to generate hydroxyl radicals. The pulsed corona discharge (PCD) causes the formation of hydroxyl radicals, hydrogen peroxide, and aqueous electrons. Several other species such as •OH, •O, O3 are also important reactants. These active species have high oxidation potentials to oxidize organic compounds and kill virus in water and to achieve water purification. Hydroxyl radicals directly attack organic compounds leading to the oxidation of these compounds. The PCD technique involves a complex set of physical and chemical reaction. In our research we investigated the efficiency of PCD and the effect of changing varieties (pH, dye concentrations, voltage) on degradation of organic dyes (Acid black 1) in water treatment.