Plasma arc systems for waste treatment and metal recovery

Abstract

Plasma torches are being used for treating very difficult wastes, for recovering metal values from metallurgical wastes, and for making high-quality ingots and powder in the special metals industry. This article discusses the process requirements and the state of the art for plasma arc systems in each of these fields.

Characterization of fuel gas products from the treatment of solid waste streams with a plasma arc torch

“…The operation of plasma treatment systems has been described by Schram et al (1994), Sites (1994), Eschenbach (1996), Uhm and Hong (2000), and Mihut et al (2001). A plasma system for treating waste consists of a plasma arc torch, power supply, water and gas subsystems, temperature control system, and other auxiliaries such as carrier gas control and scrubber.…”

Transformation and Detoxification of Typical Metallurgical Hazardous Waste into a Resource: A Review of the Development of Harmless Treatment and Utilization in China

“…high noise [59] (2) Recovery of valuable metals from SSPS Normally, there are two methods to recover valuable metals from SSPS, namely the hydrometallurgical leaching process and the pyrometallurgical reduction process [60]. Hydrometallurgical leaching is divided into acid leaching and ammonia leaching, respectively.…”

An Overview of Thermal Plasma Arc Systems for Treatment of Various Wastes in Recovery of Metals

“…Thermal plasma covers a wide area in the field of mineral and ore processing in the metallurgical industry. The use of transferred and nontransferred arc plasma allows the decomposition of minerals to recover zirconia metals [43].…”