Study of the chemical composition of fluoroalkylamines used in agriculture and medicine in the field of plasma incineration between 500 K and 20,000 K

TL;DR

This study investigates how plasma incineration at high temperatures affects the chemical composition of fluoroalkylamines, revealing the formation of toxic gases like CF2, CO, HCN, and HF at lower temperatures.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of plasma-induced chemical transformations of fluoroalkylamines across a wide temperature range, highlighting potential environmental hazards.

Findings

Toxic gases form at low temperatures during plasma incineration.

High-temperature plasma can produce hazardous fluorinated compounds.

Chemical composition varies significantly with temperature.

Abstract

Active ingredients containing fluorinated organic compounds such as Fluoroalkylamines or pyrimidine-based molecules are promising in the field of agriculture (pesticides and herbicides) and pharmacology (antibiotics). The massive use of these molecules will result in a massive increase in waste containing this type of molecule. Developed countries have restrictive waste management policies, which is not the case in developing countries. In the latter, we are witnessing a proliferation of storage areas and open-air disposal of waste, sometimes from developed countries. These practices have enormous consequences on the environment such as air, soil and water pollution and therefore on human health. One of the solutions already proven on solid waste would be the use of plasma torches. These torches can reach high temperatures (5,000 K to 20,000 K). However, the use of these means of treatment is not without danger since toxic or lethal molecules could be produced. In order to understand these difficulties, we propose to study the influence of air on the chemical composition of a plasma based on fluoroalkylamines (trifluoroethylamine: C2H4F3N, nonafluoropentylamine: C5H4F9N, etc.), at atmospheric pressure and at atmospheric pressure. local thermodynamic equilibrium (E.T.L), in a temperature range from 500 K to 20,000 K. In order to obtain the chemical composition of the plasma, we use the Gibbs free energy minimization method. The results obtained show that dangerous and toxic gaseous chemical species such as CF2, CO, HCN and HF appear at low temperatures with high concentration.