Dielectric barrier discharge plasma reactor comprising macroporous silica as dielectric material

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor for performing the conversion of methane to C2+ hydrocarbons comprising paraffin and olefins, the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma reactor comprising:

• a dielectric tube;
• macroporous silica disposed inside the dielectric tube;
• catalyst that is impregnated in pores of the macroporous silica;
• a ground electrode, which encompasses the whole or a part of a region of the dielectric tube in which the macroporous silica is disposed;
• and
• a powered electrode that is inserted in the macroporous silica, the powered electrode being spaced apart from an inner wall of the dielectric tube,
• wherein said dielectric tube is made of alumina;
• wherein the macroporous silica has pores with an average size of 1 μm to 10 μm and is in the form of a non-pelletized particle with an average diameter of 100 μm to 1,000 μm;
• wherein the DBD plasma is discharged by applying a power of 30 W to 60 W;
• wherein the powered electrode is connected to an alternating current (AC) power supply;
• wherein the macroporous silica is configured to prevent a pressure difference from forming inside the dielectric tube when a non-oxidative reaction of methane in the DBD plasma reactor is performed at room temperature and ambient pressure and is disposed between a first side and a second side of the dielectric tube, a gas inlet for impregnating methane is coupled to the first side of the dielectric tube, and a gas outlet is coupled to the second side of the dielectric tube;
• wherein the methane as a reactant is impregnated as a mixture with an inert gas at a ratio of 1:9 to 7:3 to reduce a coke formation;
• wherein a paraffin content in the C2+ hydrocarbons comprising paraffin and olefins is increased;
• and
• wherein the catalyst includes photocatalyst nanoparticles being contained in an amount of 0.5 wt % to 50 wt % of total filler weight, and shows that the coke formation is reduced or a fraction of C5+ hydrocarbons in C2+ hydrocarbons being produced is increased, compared to a reaction performed by using a reactor in which photocatalyst nanoparticles are not contained under the same reaction conditions as well as the maximum temperature required to remove coke formed in a conversion of methane to C2+ hydrocarbons by the DBD plasma reactor is lowered compared to using a reactor comprising no photocatalyst nanoparticles under the same reaction conditions.