Degradation of Textile Dye AB 52 in an Aqueous Solution by Applying a Plasma at Atmospheric Pressure

The variations in the physical and chemical parameters involved in the degradation of dye Acid Black 52 (AB52) using plasma were analyzed. The plasma, or electrical discharge, was generated in the gas-liquid interface at atmospheric pressure using a dc power supply. The system configuration comprised two tungsten electrodes: the cathode is immersed in the solution while the anode is fixed above the surface with a gap of 5 mm, where the plasma is generated. The absorbance, total organic carbon, chemical oxygen demand, pH variation, electrical conductivity, optical emission spectrum, and the change in volume and temperature were measured for each sample as a function of treatment time.