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The chemical properties of the gaseous species generated in a humid air gliding arc discharge are investigated. Aqueous solutions are used as the targets exposed to the plasma, and this allows to evidence strong acid and oxidizing effects on various solutes by means of spectrometric or potentiometric methods. The influence of some working parameters such as the input gas flow, the distance from the electrodes to the target or the electrode gap is examined on the chemical transform and simple experimental laws are derived. A general feature is observed for oxidation and suggests the occurrence of an auto-catalytic step in the relevant kinetic mechanism.

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The degradation of aqueous solutions of various dyes (e.g., Orange I, Crystal Violet, and Eriochrome Black T) used for the textile industry was performed by means of a special nonthermal quenched plasma technique (i.e., the gliding arc technique, which results from an electric discharge at atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature). The gaseous species formed in the discharge, and especially the OH radicals, induce strong oxidizing effects in the target solution, so that bleaching of the solution and degradation of the solute result, as evidenced by absorbance and chemical oxygen demand (COD) measurements. The two processes were considered as matching reactions, and overall kinetic data were derived when possible. A tentative mechanism based on literature data is also presented.

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