Synergistic dielectric barrier discharge plasma in binary foam metals for enhanced CO₂ conversion

Abstract The direct conversion of CO 2 to CO represents a high-value-added approach for CO 2 utilization. Non-thermal plasmas have gained increasing recognition for their capability to transform CO 2 into valuable chemicals. This study examines the impact of using singular or binary foam metals (Fe and Ni) in a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor on CO 2 conversion, as well as the thermal stability and durability of these foam metals. The findings indicate that the incorporation of foam metals significantly influences the reaction dynamics. Specifically, among the singular foam metals, the synergistic catalytic conversion involving IF and DBD achieved the highest efficiency, reaching 30%. The CO 2 conversion with NF can achieve up to 25% under optimal conditions. Under identical testing conditions, while the catalytic conversion performance of Fe 7 Ni 3 binary foam metal in DBD is slightly lower than that of IF, it demonstrates superior thermal stability and service life, with the CO 2 conversion peaking at 28%. Additionally, this study investigates the effects of varying the quantities of Fe 7 Ni 3 catalysts and residence time on CO 2 conversion. The results reveal that CO 2 conversion increases with extended residence times but decreases with higher loading quantities of Fe 7 Ni 3 catalysts.