Title: Decomposition Characteristics of Benzene, Toluene and Xylene in a Low Pressure DC Glow Discharge
Abstract: The decomposition characteristics of hazardous substances such as benzene, toluene, xylene and their mixture in a low pressure DC glow discharge in nitrogen are investigated by mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. It is found that C2H2, H2 and HCN are produced in nitrogen containing benzene, toluene or xylene, and that a trace of CH4 is also produced in nitrogen containing toluene or xylene. C2H2 and HCN are intermediate products, which are decomposed in the discharge, and only H2 remains in a gas phase. It is likely that C2H2 is chiefly produced by the destruction of the aromatic benzene ring of benzene, toluene or xylene and the methyl groups of toluene and xylene slightly contribute to C2H2 production. The damping coefficients of the aromatic benzene ring and the methyl group in the glow discharge in the nitrogen containing benzene-toluene or benzene-xylene mixtures are obtained separately.