Abstract: A burnable article such as a fire log or a barbecue briquette is formed of a top fire-igniting layer, a middle fire-catching layer, and a body layer. The fire-igniting layer has a composition, in weight percent, of from about 47 to about 67 percent carbonized wood, from about 22 to about 34 percent barium nitrate, from about 3 to about 11 percent sodium nitrate, from about 3 to about 11 percent starch, from about 0.25 to about 0.65 percent zeolite, and from about 0.25 to about 0.65 percent potassium alum, the total of the constituents of the fire-igniting layer being 100 percent. The fire-catching layer has a composition, in weight percent, of from about 57 to about 67 percent carbonized wood, from about 18 to about 28 percent barium nitrate, from about 3 to about 11 percent sodium nitrate, from about 4 to about 12 percent starch, from about 0.15 to about 0.35 percent zeolite, and from about 0.15 to about 0.35 percent potassium alum, the total of the constituents of the fire-catching layer being 100 percent.

Abstract: A pollutant destruction system connects a capacitive corona discharge chamber in a self-resonant circuit with an inductive element. Intermittent energizing signals are furnished from a power supply to induce corona discharges within the chamber, with the resonant circuit responding to the energizing signals by initiating additional corona discharges between energizing signals in a highly energy efficient operation. One or more discharge chambers can be provided in the resonant circuit, with each discharge chamber comprising a dielectric enclosure with a distributed electrode outside and an elongate electrode inside the enclosure. The inner electrode can extend either along the chamber axis, or along the inner chamber wall for better support and heat dissipation.

Abstract: A pollutant destruction system connects a capacitive corona discharge chamber in a self-resonant circuit with an inductive element. Intermittent energizing signals are furnished from a power supply to induce corona discharges within the chamber, with the resonant circuit responding to the energizing signals by initiating additional corona discharges between energizing signals in a highly energy efficient operation. One or more discharge chambers can be provided in the resonant circuit, with each discharge chamber comprising a dielectric enclosure with a distributed electrode outside and an elongate electrode inside the enclosure. The inner electrode can extend either along the chamber axis, or along the inner chamber wall for better support and heat dissipation.

Abstract: A pollutant destruction system connects a capacitive corona discharge chamber in a self-resonant circuit with an inductive element. Intermittent energizing signals are furnished from a power supply to induce corona discharges within the chamber, with the resonant circuit responding to the energizing signals by initiating additional corona discharges between energizing signals in a highly energy efficient operation. One or more discharge chambers can be provided in the resonant circuit, with each discharge chamber comprising a dielectric enclosure with a distributed electrode outside and an elongate electrode inside the enclosure. The inner electrode can extend either along the chamber axis, or along the inner chamber wall for better support and heat dissipation.

Abstract: Contaminant levels in a fluid such as air or water are reduced by producing a pulsed electron beam having an average primary electron energy of from about 90 to about 110 thousand electron volts (corresponding to an average injected electron energy of from about 45 to about 55 thousand electron volts in a preferred case) and directing the electron beam through the fluid. The contaminant compounds may include organic compounds and certain inorganic compounds such as NO.sub.x and SO.sub.x. The fluid is preferably contained in a contaminant reduction cell that is separated from an electron beam source by an electron-transparent window.