Method and apparatus for plasma pyrolysis of liquid waste

A method for pyrolytically decomposing waste material, including the steps of:

• (a) producing a plasma by use of oxygen as the torch gas;
• (b) atomizing waste material and a source of hydrogen and oxygen, then injecting the atomized waste material and source of hydrogen and oxygen into the plasma, having a temperature in excess of 5000.degree. C., to form a mixture of product gases and solid particulate;
• (c) separating the gases and particulate mixture in a recombination chamber into separate phases of gases and solid particulate;
• (d) transferring the solid particulate to separate compartment and subjecting the particulate to a partial vacuum to separate any carryover gases from the particulate which carryover gases are combined with the gases from the recombination chamber;
• (e) transferring the gas from the recombination chamber to a scrubber and subjecting the gas to a water spray to eliminate any carryover solid particulate from the gases;
• and
• (f) removing the scrubbed gases from the scrubber.