Göttingen 2025 – wissenschaftliches Programm
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P: Fachverband Plasmaphysik
P 23: Atmospheric Plasmas and their Applications VI
P 23.5: Vortrag
Donnerstag, 3. April 2025, 17:30–17:45, ZHG006
Surface processes during plasma-based nitrogen fixation — •Steijn Vervloedt and Achim von Keudell — Experimental Physics II, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
Nitrogen fixation is a vital part of artificial fertiliser production. Plasma-based gas conversion is an alternative to thermal catalytic processes currently used by the chemical industry, because it is better suited to work for a decentralised and varying energy supply of renewable energy. The efficiency of these plasma-based processes might even be improved by introducing a catalyst. In this contribution, we present our results on the surface composition of an iron foil in direct contact with a nitrogen containing plasma. A low-pressure RF plasma is ignited in N2/O2 and N2/H2 gas mixtures to study surface processes related to NH3 and NOx synthesis, respectively. Infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy probes the surface composition in-situ. This technique yields reflectance spectra that show a fingerprint of the surface groups on the foil. The results in a N2/O2 plasma show the formation of NxOy species on the surface and O3 in the gas phase. The N2/H2 plasma results show the change in the oxidation state of the iron foil and the incorporation of nitrogen species. The interplay between these species can be used to devise a kinetic model of these surface mechanisms.
Keywords: nitrogen fixation; RF plasma; surface chemistry; plasma catalysis