Conversion of fluorine-containing ozone-depleting and greenhouse gases to valuable polymers in a nonthermal plasma

A dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) nonthermal plasma was used to convert a range of fluorocarbons into useful polymeric products. Reactions were conducted at atmospheric pressure, in an argon bath gas and where methane was added as reactant. The bulk gas temperature was less than 150 °C and yielded polymers from a number of methane/fluorocarbon mixtures, including fluorocarbons such as halons, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and perfluorocarbons (PFCs). The results of gel permeation chromatography (GPC) reveal that a potentially valuable polymer is synthesized, with a number average molecular weight of between 60 000 and 130 000 g mol -1 and a polydispersity index (PDI) of between 1.2 and 2.9, depending on the fluorochemical converted. © 2012 American Chemical Society.