Assessment of the Productivity of Hydrogen and Nano-Carbon Through Liquid-Plasma Cracking of Waste Organic Solvent Using PrxNiyFeO3 Perovskite Catalysts

In this study, a process for the simultaneous production of hydrogen and carbon from waste organic solvents using liquid plasma was investigated. Ferrite-based perovskites were introduced as catalysts to evaluate the productivity of hydrogen and carbon. A novel ferrite-based perovskite composite, PrxNiyFeO3, was synthesized. The waste organic solvent was converted into liquid hydrocarbons, primarily composed of toluene, through a simple distillation process. Hydrogen (>98%) and nanocarbon were produced through the liquid plasma reaction of the purified organic solvent. The ferrite-based perovskites demonstrated excellent absorption capacities for visible light. Among them, PrxNiyFeO3 exhibited the highest absorption capacities for both UV and visible light and had the smallest band gap energy (approximately 1.72 eV). In the liquid plasma decomposition of organic solvents, the ferrite-based perovskites enhanced the hydrogen production rate and carbon yield. The highest hydrogen production rate and carbon yield were achieved with the newly synthesized PrxNiyFeO3 perovskite composite. PrxNiyFeO3, which has the narrowest band gap compared to other catalysts, is highly sensitive to the strong visible light emitted from plasma and exhibits excellent catalytic activity. This catalyst also demonstrated remarkable reaction activity sustainability and the potential for recycling through regeneration.