Abstract: A method and an apparatus based on a reactor vessel (201) that is brought to a predetermined vacuum degree, in particular said vacuum degree set between 2 and 6 absolute millibar, an to a high temperature. A waste material is continuously introduced in the vessel (202), in particular a solid waste material (5) is introduced in such a way that a vacuum loss from the vessel (201) is prevented. Owing to the high temperature, waste material (5) forms a plasma that undergoes a molecular rearrangement, which gives origin to a substantially liquid residue that is collected in a bottom portion (204) of reactor (201), and to a gas (11). The gas (11), which mainly comprises carbon monoxide, hydrogen, carbon dioxide and steam, i.e. a typical syngas composition, is continuously taken away from the vessel (201) through a duct (12), and is sent to subsequent treatments to obtain a gas fuel that can be burnt by devices such as a gas turbine, a motor or a boiler.

Abstract: A plasma method and apparatus for purifying an offgas containing inorganic and organic pollutants. A plasma torch (26) is formed by interaction of the offgas (6) with an electric field (E) created by a voltage (V) applied between one or more couples of electrodes (16) arranged upstream/along a purification chamber (1); the electric field is such that an electric discharge takes place which ionizes the offgas (6) and causes a redistribution of atoms/molecules, thus creating longer molecules, which form a liquid residue (23), and shorter molecules, which form a purified gas (7). The gas undergoes an expansion that is caused by a diverging portion (21) of the purification chamber and assists preliminary cooling of the of fgas/purified gas (6/7). A tube-bundle exchanger (2) is provided and has a cross section larger than the outlet port (14) of the chamber to allow further expansion/cooling. A scrubber (3) is arranged downstream exchanger (2).