Method for vitrification of fine particulate matter and products produced thereby
OwnerSalvador L. Camachoinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method for the melting and subsequent solidification of fine particulate material by use of a plasma torch. The fine particulate material is introduced into a furnace having a plasma torch to a depth sufficient to cover the plasma flame produced by the torch. When operative, the torch generates a heat at low gas flow, which both allows the fine particulate material to rest with little disturbance and to transfer large amounts of heat energy to the fine particulate, effectively preheating the fine particulate material for more efficient melting. The melt may, for example, be solidified into a block for building use, into fibers by way of pressurized air passed through a venturi nozzle or into other useful forms.
Claims29
A method for the vitrification of fine particulate material characterized as heat insulative and refractory in nature, comprising:
- (a) introducing a quantity of fine particulate material characterized as heat insulative and refractory in nature without additives into a furnace having an internal base and a plasma torch positioned above the base and capable of providing at its discharge end a high temperature plasma flame as a low mass, high enthalpy heat source;
- (b) piling said fine particulate material on said base to a height so as to cover and enable the plasma flame of said plasma torch to be totally submerged in said fine particulate material;
- (c) energizing said plasma torch and feeding said plasma torch with a plasma gas so as to generate and discharge from said plasma torch a high temperature plasma flame;
- (d) heating and melting said fine particulate material with said submerged plasma flame to create downwardly flowing melted material and upwardly flowing plasma gas and vaporized components of said material;
- (e) forming a cavity in said fine particulate material surrounding said plasma flame by means of the heat of said plasma flame;
- (f) allowing the upwardly flowing plasma gas and vaporized components generated by the heating and melting step to pass through said fine particulate material and escape from said cavity and, in so doing, to transfer a portion of the heat energy in said gas and vaporized components to said fine particulate material and to simultaneously cause the temperature of said gas to be reduced and portions of said vaporized components to condense and be trapped in the said fine particulate material;
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- (g) directing the melted fine particulate material generated by said melting step to flow out of said furnace.
The method of vitrification for fine particulate material as claimed in 1 wherein said furnace includes an electrical ground terminal proximate said internal base to which said plasma torch may attach and further including the step of operating said ground terminal.
A block created of vitrified fine particulate material characterized as heat insulative and refractory in nature by a method comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a quantity of fine particulate material characterized as heat insulative and refractory in nature without additives into a furnace having an internal base and a plasma torch positioned above the base and capable of providing at its discharge end a high temperature plasma flame as a low mass, high enthalpy heat source;
- (b) piling said fine particulate material on said base to a height so as to cover and enable the discharge end of said plasma torch to be totally submerged in said fine particular material;.
- (c) energizing said plasma torch and feeding said plasma torch with a plasma gas so as to generate and discharge from said plasma torch a high temperature plasma flame;
- (d) heating and melting said fine particulate material with said submerged plasma flame to create downwardly flowing melted material and upwardly flowing plasma gas and vaporized components of said material;
- (e) forming a cavity in said fine particulate material surrounding said plasma flame by melting a portion of said fine particulate material with said plasma flame;
- (f) allowing the upwardly flowing plasma gas and vaporized components generated by the heating and melting step to pass through said fine particulate material and escape from said cavity and, in so doing, to transfer a portion of the heat energy in said gas and vaporized components to said fine particulate material and to simultaneously cause the temperature of said gas to be reduced and portions of said vaporized components to condense in the said fine particulate refractory material;
- (g) directing the melted fine particulate material generated by said melting step to flow out of said furnace into a form;
- and (h) allowing said melted fine particulate material in said form to cool and solidify into a block corresponding to the shape of said form.
A fiber created by the vitrification of fine particulate material characterized as heat insulative and refractory in nature, comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing a quantity of fine particulate material characterized as heat insulative and refractory in nature without additives into a furnace having an internal base and a plasma torch positioned above the base and capable of providing at its discharge end a high temperature plasma flame as a low mass, high enthalpy heat source;
- (b) piling said fine particulate material on said base to a height so as to cover and enable the discharge end of said plasma torch to be totally submerged in said fine particulate refractory material;
- (c) energizing said plasma torch and feeding said plasma torch with a plasma gas so as to generate and discharge from said plasma torch a high temperature plasma flame;
- (d) heating and melting said fine particulate material with said submerged plasma flame to create downwardly flowing melted material and upwardly flowing plasma gas and vaporized components of said material;
- (e) forming a cavity in said fine particulate material surrounding said plasma flame by melting a portion of said fine particulate refractory material with said plasma flame;
- (f) allowing the upwardly flowing plasma gas and vaporized components generated by the heating and melting step to pass through said fine particulate material and escape from said cavity and, in so doing, to transfer a portion of the heat energy in said gas and vaporized components to said fine particulate material and to simultaneously cause the temperature of said gas to be reduced and portions of said vaporized components to condense in the said fine particulate material;
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- (g) directing the melted fine particulate material generated by said melting step to flow out of said furnace and introducing a stream of pressurized air to said melted material flow so as to form said melt into a fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.