Themes developed in this approach focus on the development of plasmas for specific applications. They all concern issues regarding the safety of goods, persons or the environment:
- Treatment and valorization of effluents (environmental safety)
- Depollution and purification of gases (treatment of exhaust emissions), liquids (medicinal waste) and surfaces;
- Valorization of gases (biomass products) and liquids (activated water for agriculture or anti-biofouling);
- Plasma ignition, combustion help, flow control.
- Plasma-living environment interaction (microbiological safety)
- Sterilization and decontamination;
- Bioengineering: treatment/prevention of bacteria and bio-corrosion, plasma medicine (antitumor effect), cosmetics;
- Plasma/plant interaction (food processing industry).
- Thermal plasma processes (safety of goods and persons)
- Impulse arcs (lightning, fault arcs, cut-off arcs, arc-tracking);
- Electrode phenomena;
- Laser-inducted plasmas (LIBS, combustible ignition).
The plasma/medicine field has undoubtedly become a strength of the laboratory. Research is now more broadly focused on the plasma/living interaction (cells, bacteria, microorganisms) including sterilization, anti-biofouling (curative), help for germination, etc.
In most cases, this plasma/ living substance interaction takes place through an aqueous layer, and therefore involves a plasma/liquid interaction stage. Common plasma/liquid interaction phenomena are also found in the treatment and recovery of liquid effluents: elimination of drug residues, activated water for decontamination or agriculture (production of nitrates, etc.). Whatever the application and the type of discharge (plasma jet, non-thermal plasmas at atmospheric pressure, etc.), the study of the physical chemistry of this complex interaction is a subject that brings together researchers from the PEVS approach. This joint fundamental research on plasma/liquid interaction, which has already begun on a number of projects, is set to expand.
The laboratory's long-standing “thermal plasma processes” theme is moving in new directions, drawing on the experience gained in understanding and controlling steady-state discharges. The aim is to study impulse arcs (cut-off arcs, fault arcs, lightning) and their effects on their environment (thermal damage, ablation and aging of contacts, energy transfer to electrodes, radiation, etc.), with a view to their remediation. In this sense, the research carried out will relate to the electrical safety of people and equipment.