3. Plasma treatments

3.1 Liquid toxic waste

Since 1986, Westinghouse has been developing the Pyroplasma system for treating liquid toxic waste using a 600 to 800 kW Marc 11 H torch operating on pure oxygen (200 h cathode lifetime versus 900 h for the anode). The basic principle of the system is shown on figure 1 . The torch opens into the reaction chamber, which is maintained at a temperature in excess of 1,000°C. At the outlet, a shower of caustic solution neutralizes the acids formed, and the outgoing gases are analyzed on-line....