Microwave reactor system with gas-solids separation

A materials processing system, comprising:

• an input material comprising a hydrocarbon gas;
• a microwave plasma reactor comprising:
• a microwave energy source;
• a field-enhancing waveguide coupled to the microwave energy source, the field-enhancing waveguide having a first cross-sectional area and a second cross-sectional area, wherein the field-enhancing waveguide includes a field-enhancing zone between the first cross-sectional area and the second cross-sectional area, a plasma zone, and a reaction zone, and wherein the second cross-sectional area:
• is smaller than the first cross-sectional area, and the field-enhancing zone has a decreasing cross-sectional area from the first cross-sectional area to the second cross-sectional area;
• is farther away from the microwave energy source than the first cross-sectional area;
• and
• extends along a reaction length that forms the reaction zone of the field-enhancing waveguide, wherein the microwave energy propagates in a direction along the reaction length;
• and
• an inlet configured to receive the input material, wherein the input material flows through the inlet into the reaction zone;
• wherein the plasma separates the input material into separated components, the separated components comprising hydrogen gas and carbon particles;
• a multi-stage gas-solid separator system coupled to the microwave plasma reactor, the multi-stage gas-solid separator system comprising:
• a first cyclone separator having an output, wherein the first cyclone separator filters the carbon particles from the separated components;
• and
• a back-pulse filter system coupled to the output of the first cyclone separator, wherein the back-pulse filter system filters the carbon particles from the output from the first cyclone separator.