Plasma-Chemical Decarbonization of Hydrocarbons

The possibilities of hydrogen production in a nonequilibrium high-voltage discharge by extracting carbon from gaseous hydrocarbons were studied. “Hot” electrons of the nonequilibrium plasma effectively break bonds in hydrocarbon molecules without heating the gas itself. As a result, hydrocarbons break down into hydrogen and carbon. Solid carbon deposits contain structured soot and nanodiamonds with sizes of about 10–20 nm.