Effect of electrode degradation on the electrical characteristics of surface dielectric barrier discharge

Degradation in aluminium and copper foil electrodes in surface dielectric barrier discharges (sDBDs), operating in ambient air, is studied using various microscopic methods. It is determined that difference in the oxidation dynamics for these two materials lead to different morphology of the exposed electrode edge. The structure of the exposed electrode, in its turn, affects the dynamics of the microdischarges and the main integral electrical characteristics of the sDBD: power input, charge amplitude, shape of the charge−voltage cycle plot.