Industrial applications of thermal plasmas Available to Purchase

The main characteristics and applications of thermal plasmas are reviewed here. The industrial applications of thermal plasmas can be divided in: low power–cutting, welding, spraying; metallurgical and steelmaking; materials; environment. Some of the processes described in this article include: powder spraying, metal refining, tundish and laddle heating, production of ferroalloys and ceramic materials, and treatment of residues (aluminum scrap, steel dusts, ashes, hospital wastes, electroplating mud). The use of thermal plasmas in the environment arena in particular has attracted increasingly attention as the regulations for disposal of residues become tougher. More research and development is needed particularly for decreasing the erosion of the electrodes of plasma torches and fundamental understanding of high temperature chemistry, heat transfer, and electric arcs for broadening the applications of thermal plasmas.