US 7,718,120 B2 · RF plasma system for medical waste treatment

Abstract

A system and method are provided for the thermal and non-thermal (oxidation) plasma treatment of medical waste using an electrode-less induction (thermal) and capacitive (non-thermal) plasma torches. The medical waste is pre-treated by liquid nitrogen, crushed and pulverized by LN2 crusher/pulverizer, and conveyed to the nitrogen/water thermal plasma reactor, which converts the powdered medical waste into carbon black and generated gas (resulting from the thermal step) is directed to the Oxygen non-thermal plasma reactor for post-treatment. The system is equipped with an emission control unit, dual frequency pulse RF power supply, and Liquid Nitrogen Generator. The off gas from LN2 crusher (nitrogen) is used for the induction plasma torch and off gas from LN2 generator (oxygen) is used as a plasma gas for the Non-thermal plasma torch.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A process for medical waste treatment, which comprises the steps of:

a. Pulverizing medical waste into powder form;
b. Generating a thermal plasma by the use of a Radio-Frequency plasma generating means;
c. Introducing powdered medical waste into said thermal plasma, wherein said powder is heated to a temperature, sufficient to disinfect the medical waste and resulting in a processed powder;
d. Cooling the processed powder;
e. Generating non-thermal plasma, by the use of capacitive radio-frequency plasma generating means;
f. Introducing exhaust gas resulting from step (d) into said non-thermal plasma wherein said gas is oxidized;
g. Compacting the processed powder to form pellets.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

RF plasma system for medical waste treatment

Life of this patent

RF plasma system for medical waste treatment

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10