Methods and apparatus for material processing using plasma thermal source

Abstract

Methods and apparatus provide for: feeding glass batch material into a plasma containment vessel in such a way that the glass batch material is dispensed as a sheet of glass batch material particles; directing one or more sources of plasma gas into the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel in such a way that the plasma gas enters the plasma containment vessel as at least one sheet of plasma gas; and applying an alternating electric field to facilitate production of a plasma plume within the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel, where the plasma plume is of dimensions sufficient to envelope the sheet of glass batch material particles, and is of sufficient thermal energy to cause the glass batch material to react and melt thereby forming substantially homogeneous, spheroid-shaped glass intermediate particles.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method, comprising:
 providing a plasma containment vessel having at least first and second opposing wall members defining an inner volume, an inlet end, and an opposing outlet end;   feeding glass batch material into the inlet of the plasma containment vessel in such a way that the glass batch material is dispensed as a substantially planar sheet of glass batch material particles into the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel;   directing one or more sources of plasma gas into the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel in such a way that the plasma gas enters the plasma containment vessel as at least one substantially planar sheet of plasma gas; and   applying an alternating electric field to the plasma gas to facilitate production of a plasma plume within the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel, wherein the plasma plume is of a substantially planar sheet shape having dimensions sufficient to envelope the planar sheet of glass batch material particles, and is of sufficient thermal energy to cause the glass batch material to thermally react.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least one of:
 the thermal reaction includes at least partially melting the glass batch material,   the thermal reaction includes at least partially melting at least one of the glass batch material and one or more further materials thereby forming coated glass batch material particles, and   the thermal reaction includes at least partially melting the glass batch material to form substantially homogeneous, spheroid-shaped glass intermediate particles.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the least one planar sheet of plasma gas includes two substantially planar sheets of plasma gas directed both toward the outlet end of the plasma containment vessel and toward one another in order to envelop the planar sheet of glass batch material particles. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 applying a magnetic field, characterized by a plurality of lines of magnetic flux directed through the inner volume of the plasma containment vessel and transverse to the electric field,   wherein the electric field is characterized by lines of electric flux and an interaction of the electric flux and the magnetic flux is such that an electron cyclotron frequency of electrons about the magnetic flux is produced of sufficient magnitude to produce the plasma plume of sufficient thermal energy to cause the glass batch material to thermally react.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the magnetic field is one of: (i) at least about 2.0×10 −3  Tesla, (ii) at least about 3.0×10 −3  Tesla, and (iii) at least about 4.0×10 −3  Tesla. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the electron cyclotron frequency is one of: (i) at least about 2.0×10 8  radians/second, (ii) at least about 3.0×10 8  radians/second, and at least about 4.0×10 8  radians/second. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plasma plume has a temperature ranging from one of: (i) about 9,000° K to about 18,000° K; and (ii) about 11,000° K to about 15,000° K. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the glass batch material have an average particle size ranging from about 5 to about 1,000 microns. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the plasma gas includes at least one of argon, air, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the thermally reacted glass batch material exit the plasma containment vessel through the outlet end.