Dielectric Barrier Discharge Experiment Device

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Product Detail

The DBD-50 is ACS Material's standard dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactor — a 50 mm parallel-plate cell with two quartz dielectric barriers and an adjustable 0–10 mm discharge gap for generating stable cold (non-thermal) plasma at atmospheric or reduced pressure. Designed as the calibration and workhorse reactor for the CTP-2000K plasma power supply family, it is widely used for gas–solid surface modification, plasma cleaning, sterilization, and plasma-chemistry experiments.

The ACS Material DBD-50 dielectric barrier discharge reactor with adjustable electrode gap and quartz dielectric plates — The DBD-50 dielectric barrier discharge reactor (image for reference only).

Key specifications at a glance

ModelDBD-50

Surface discharge diameter50 mm

Electrode adjustable distance0–10 mm

Dielectric barriers2 × quartz plates (changeable)

Discharge typesDBD & glow

Operating pressureAtmospheric & reduced

Reaction modeGas–solid

Compatible suppliesCTP-2000K / P / A / KM / KL

Effective gap (base 2000K)≤ 8 mm

Key features

Adjustable 0–10 mm discharge gap — a set-screw mechanism varies the spacing between the dielectric plates to tune discharge intensity and breakdown behavior for your gas and pressure.
Two quartz dielectric barriers — high-purity quartz plates withstand sustained discharge and can be swapped for high-purity ceramic when an application requires it.
Fast dielectric changeover — a press handle, mounting slots, and guide rod let you install or replace the upper dielectric slab quickly between experiments.
Parallel-plate, gas–solid geometry — a 50 mm circular discharge area suited to surface modification, coating, cleaning, and sterilization of flat or powder samples.
Atmospheric or reduced pressure — sustains filamentary DBD at atmospheric pressure and a diffuse glow under vacuum, depending on the working gas.
Matched to the CTP-2000K family — calibrated for the ≈10 kHz CTP supplies so the supply–reactor pair behaves predictably out of the box.

See how a DBD cold plasma ignites

Inside the DBD-50, two quartz dielectric plates sandwich an adjustable gas gap. When a CTP-series supply drives the voltage past the gap's breakdown threshold, a dielectric barrier discharge lights up — and because the quartz barriers limit how much charge can cross, the gas breaks into many short-lived micro-discharge filaments that stay cold instead of collapsing into a hot arc. The interactive model below shows what happens between the plates as the drive voltage rises.

Set the discharge gap (the DBD-50 adjusts from 0 to 10 mm), raise the voltage to ignite, then turn the frequency knob until the current peaks at F_o — the brightest, most stable operating point. Switch the working gas to see its real glow color.

Applications

Cold plasma from the DBD-50 activates surfaces and drives gas-phase chemistry at near-ambient temperature, which makes the reactor useful across materials science, surface engineering, and life-science labs:

Surface modification of polymers, films, and inorganic materials — improving wettability, adhesion, and printability.
Plasma cleaning and sterilization of surfaces, components, and biological samples.
Plasma-assisted synthesis and coating of nanoparticles and thin films in gas–solid configurations.

Strong dielectric barrier discharge in a 50 mm DBD reactor — DBD discharge intensity scales with drive voltage and power: strong (left), medium-intensity (center), and weak (right) discharge in a 50 mm DBD reactor.

Medium-intensity dielectric barrier discharge in a 50 mm DBD reactor — DBD discharge intensity scales with drive voltage and power: strong (left), medium-intensity (center), and weak (right) discharge in a 50 mm DBD reactor.

Vacuum argon glow discharge in a 50 mm DBD reactor — Under reduced pressure, the same 50 mm DBD reactor sustains a diffuse glow: vacuum argon discharge (left) and vacuum air discharge (right).

Vacuum air discharge in a 50 mm DBD reactor — Under reduced pressure, the same 50 mm DBD reactor sustains a diffuse glow: vacuum argon discharge (left) and vacuum air discharge (right).

For gas–gas reactions, larger treatment areas, or sealed liquid-phase work, the DBD reactor family scales up — for example, the DBD-150 reactor fitted with a DBD-150A reaction kettle:

DBD-150 reactor device fitted with a DBD-150A reaction kettle — DBD-150 reactor device with a DBD-150A reaction kettle.

Compare the DBD reactor family

The DBD-50 is the standard 50 mm gas–solid cell and covers most atmospheric-pressure surface-treatment work. The larger members of the family scale up the discharge area or add gas–gas, comb-electrode, sealed-kettle, and water-vapor capability.

Model	Discharge configuration	Gas modes	Typical use
DBD-50	50 mm parallel plate; adjustable 0–10 mm gap; quartz barriers	Gas–solid	Surface modification, cleaning, sterilization of flat or powder samples
DBD-150	Single-dielectric-barrier chemical reactor; accepts gas atmospheres	Gas–gas & gas–solid	Atmosphere-controlled plasma chemistry and synthesis
DBD-200	Comb electrodes (single / double-sided, symmetric or asymmetric); fluoroplastic-PCB or quartz-coated electrodes	Surface / patterned discharge	Electrode-geometry and surface-discharge studies
DBD-300	Accepts two separate gas inputs	Gas–solid	Multi-gas gas–solid reactions
DBD-500	Low-temperature plasma reactor cell	Gas–solid	General low-temperature plasma processing
DBD-600	Large-area cell; accepts gas atmospheres	Gas–gas & gas–solid	Large-area treatment and synthesis
DBD-1000	Low-temperature plasma reactor with water-vapor capability	Gas / vapor	Water-vapor-assisted plasma processing

Notes

The DBD-50 is calibrated with the ≈10 kHz CTP-2000K supplies; pair every reactor with a power supply rated to break down your chosen gas gap.
Detailed dimensions, electrode options, and gap ranges for the larger DBD-150 to DBD-1000 reactors are available on request — browse the DBD reactor line or contact us with your application.
Custom reactor geometries (coaxial, comb-electrode, sealed reaction-kettle, large-area) can be designed to meet specific experimental requirements.

What's included

Each DBD-50 ships as a complete parallel-plate reactor assembly:

DBD-50 reactor body — upper and lower electrodes, adjustable-gap frame with set screw, mounting slots, press handle, and guide rod.
Two quartz dielectric plates — installed as the dielectric barriers; replaceable with high-purity ceramic on request.

Required power supply

CTP-2000K Low-Temperature Plasma Power Supply

The DBD-50 is a passive reactor and must be driven by a plasma power supply (sold separately). It is compatible with the CTP-2000K, CTP-2000K/P, CTP-2000K/A, CTP-2000KM, and CTP-2000KL; the CTP-2000K/S requires a customized DBD reactor. ACS Material also offers coaxial DBD reactors and sealed reaction-kettle reactors for other geometries.

Frequently asked questions

Are the dielectric plates quartz?

Yes. The DBD-50 comes with two quartz dielectric plates as the discharge barriers.

Can I change the dielectric material myself?

Yes, within limits. Aside from quartz and high-purity ceramics, most materials are unsuitable: zirconia cannot be used over large areas, and polymers deform or degrade in the discharge region. Contact us if your application needs a specific dielectric.

Which power supply do I need?

The DBD-50 is compatible with the CTP-2000K, CTP-2000K/P, CTP-2000K/A, CTP-2000KM, and CTP-2000KL. The CTP-2000K/S requires a customized DBD reactor. The reactor is sold separately from the supply.

What is the discharge gap range?

The electrode spacing is adjustable from 0 to 10 mm via a set screw. With the base CTP-2000K (0–30 kV), gaps up to about 8 mm break down reliably; larger gaps or higher-pressure gases may need a higher-voltage supply.

Can it run at reduced pressure?

Yes. At atmospheric pressure the DBD-50 sustains filamentary dielectric barrier discharge; under vacuum it produces a diffuse glow, with the color set by the working gas (for example, lilac-violet for argon).

What is the discharge area?

The circular discharge surface is 50 mm in diameter, suited to flat samples and powders in a gas–solid configuration.

Do you offer larger or gas–gas reactors?

Yes. The DBD reactor family scales up to the DBD-150, 200, 300, 500, 600, and 1000 for larger areas, gas–gas reactions, comb-electrode geometries, and water-vapor processing. See the comparison above or the DBD reactor line.

What warranty applies?

The DBD-50 carries a one-year warranty with free remote maintenance support (shipping excluded). All plasma equipment is sold as nonrefundable items.

Power it up: the CTP-2000K plasma power supply and the rest of the CTP power-supply family — /P modulated pulse, /A high power, KM microsecond pulse, and KL low-frequency digital.
Other reactor geometries: coaxial DBD reactors and sealed reaction-kettle reactors (DBD-100A/B, DBD-150A).
Browse the line: the full DBD reactor series (DBD-50 through DBD-1000) for larger-area, gas–gas, and specialized cells.
Learn the fundamentals: What Is Plasma? Cold Plasma, DBD Reactors, Applications & Power Supplies and Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD): Reactors, Physics & Power — our complete guides to cold-plasma generation, DBD reactor physics, and choosing a power supply.

This page describes the ACS Material DBD-50 dielectric barrier discharge reactor. Discharge colors, intensities, and breakdown voltages shown in the interactive model and photographs are idealized, schematic teaching aids; actual behavior depends on the working gas, pressure, gap, dielectric, and the paired power supply. The DBD-50 is a passive reactor and must be driven by a separately purchased plasma power supply. Return policy: all plasma equipment is sold as nonrefundable items. Each unit includes a one-year warranty with free remote maintenance support (shipping costs excluded); after the first year, remote maintenance is available at an additional charge based on the equipment's needs. Disclaimer: ACS Material LLC believes the information on this page is accurate and current but makes no warranties, express or implied, regarding suitability for any purpose or the accuracy of the information, and will not be responsible for damages resulting from its use.