Methods and apparatus for material processing using atmospheric thermal plasma reactor
AssigneeCorning Incorporated
InventorDaniel Robert Boughton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus provide for: producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas; feeding an elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material is heated within the plasma plume; and spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume, where the feedstock material is a mixture of compounds that have been mixed, formed into the elongate shape, and at least partially sintered.
Claims18
A method, comprising:
- producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas;
- substantially continuously mixing, pressing, and at least partially sintering precursor compounds into an elongate feedstock material and feeding the elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material is heated within the plasma plume;
- and
- spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume,
- wherein the feedstock material is a mixture of compounds that have been mixed, formed into an elongate shape, and at least partially sintered.
A method, comprising:
- producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas;
- feeding an elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material melts within the plasma plume;
- spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis at a sufficient speed as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume to cause the melt to separate from the distal end of the feedstock material, in response to centrifugal force, and to form respective substantially spherical droplets;
- and
- introducing one or more further materials into the plasma containment vessel such that a thermal reaction occurs within the plasma plume to at least partially melt at least one of the substantially spherical droplets and the one or more further materials thereby forming coated droplets of material, wherein the feedstock material is a glass batch material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.