Patent ID: 6136158
Filing Date: 2000-10-24
Classification: B01D,Y02C

Abstract:
A method of treating a pollutant gas, comprising:subjecting said pollutant gas to a corona discharge to produce excited nitrogen species having associated excitation energies;providing a relaxation species consisting essentially of triatomic nitrogen (N.sub.3) to said pollutant gas during said corona discharge, said relaxation species characterized by a relaxation energy which matches said excitation energies of said nitrogen species; andreacting said excited nitrogen species with said relaxation species during said corona discharge so that said relaxation species reduces said excitation energies of said excited nitrogen species sufficiently to break down NO.sub.x molecules in the pollutant gas into N.sub.2 and O.sub.2 and to inhibit said N.sub.2 from reacting with oxidizing radicals to generate NO.sub.x.