Reference #: 01599
The University of South Carolina is offering licensing opportunities for Dielectric Barrier Discharge Plasma System for in-situ Hydrogen Peroxide Production
Background:
Most of the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) vapor generators, which exist in the market merely use flash vaporization of the liquid form of H2O2 to form H2O2 vapor. Some of these generators can only operate in ultra-high vacuum. Other existing generators that produce H2O2 from water employ physical membranes, which are expensive and must be replaced at regular intervals.
Invention Description:
The device uses an electric field to initiate an electrical breakdown in gas with high water vapor content. Electrical breakdown of water molecules forms hydroxide (OH) radicals among other active species. These OH radicals combine in pairs to form hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Thus, H2O2 has formed in situ in the reactor itself only using water vapor and electricity.
Potential Applications:
The innovation attempts to devise a cost-effective method for producing OH radicals and Hydrogen peroxide insitu solely from highly concentrated water vapor in a carrier gas and electricity. The proposed innovation can be used in different sectors: medical, agriculture and cleanrooms as well as in research communities as a scientific diagnostics tool for analyzing active species produced in a plasma afterglow.
Advantages and Benefits:
The proposed innovation produces H2O2 from water vapor and electricity in situ which circumvents these issues. Also, the physical dimensions and the maximum operable distance of the unit from the substrate allow it to be used in laser diagnostics for the quantification and detection of active species produced in the plasma discharge. The data generated from such diagnostics can be used by the research community to perform model validation.
Nikki Biagas, Licensing & Compliance Manager- bianik@sc.edu
UofSC Technology Commercialization Office- technology@sc.edu