Abstract: A process is disclosed for treating an exhaust gas stream containing COS and CO arising from chlorinating titanium-containing material with a cold plasma wherein oxygen is present and selectively oxidizing COS.

Abstract: A process for recovering iron from an iron oxide bearing mass. The process includes forming a bed of lump coke in a vertical shaft furnace, feeding the iron oxide bearing mass and scrap metal onto the bed of lump coke and combusting the coke in the coke bed while injecting a plasma gas having a temperature greater than about 5,000.degree. F. into the coke bed to form a reaction zone within the coke bed having a temperature in excess of 4,000.degree. F. The iron oxide bearing mass and scrap metal fed onto the bed of lump coke is melted to form a molten phase containing molten iron oxide and molten scrap metal. The molten phase flows into the reaction zone and a film is formed on the lump coke within the reaction zone, the iron oxide in the film being reduced by carbon from the coke to form molten iron in a solid/liquid reduction. The molten iron is discharged from the furnace.

Abstract: Magnesium chloride, titanium chloride and at least an electron donor are introduced in a plasma torch. These chlorides being in solution or in suspension in a liquid that can be an electron donor. A very fine granulometry powder is collected after cooling. The powder is very fine, it has a controlled morphology and it can be used as catalyst for alpha-olefins polymerization.

Abstract: A method for reducing NO.sub.x produced by the burning of fuels includes providing a hydrocarbon and nitrogen mixture to a plasma arc generator for producing NO.sub.x reducing precursors which are, in turn, provided near the burning of the fuel for reacting and reducing NO.sub.x emissions. These precursors include N, H, HCN, CH.sub.i and NH.sub.i, etc.

Abstract: A process for the continuous removal of carbon particles in exhaust gas flows uses a plasma process. A stationary oxidative plasma process achieves a particle burn-up of the excess oxygen in technical combustion processes.

Abstract: A process for generating hydrogen and elemental sulfur from hydrogen sulfide waste in which the hydrogen sulfide is associated under plasma conditions and a portion of the hydrogen output is used in a catalytic reduction unit to convert sulfur-containing impurities to hydrogen sulfide for recycle, the process also including the addition of an ionizing gas such as argon to initiate the plasma reaction at lower energy, a preheater for the input to the reactor and an internal adjustable choke in the reactor for enhanced coupling with the microwave energy input.

Abstract: A compound MF.sub.n, where M is a metal and n is the valency of the metal and has a value between 1 and 6, is subjected to a thermal plasma at a temperature in excess of 3000 K to dissociate it into the metal and fluorine. Also present in the reactor is an added reactant that will react with the metal or the fluorine to prevent their recombination so that there is formed fluorine gas or a fluoride other than the fluoride of the metal M.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for eliminating unwanted materials, such as corrosive gases, from an effluent gas flow line includes a reactive trap wherein chemical reaction between the unwanted material, a reactant gas and a reactive element takes place under induced plasma conditions. A ballast gas may be added to adjust operating pressures and to aid in creating the plasma. The reactant gas and the reactive element are selected so that relative harmless by-products are produced. The reactive element is preferably maintained at a temperature of approximately 400.degree. C. and the chemical by-products are passed through a condensation element in the reactive trap which element is maintained at approximately 30.degree. C. Preferably, the plasma is induced by a microwave transmitter in conjunction with a waveguide inserted into a reactive trap, and a control system automatically monitors and adjusts the temperature and pressure of the reaction as well as controls the ratio of effluent gas and ballast gas.

Abstract: A beam or flow of a reactive or metastable precursor such as a hydride or organometallic compound is created, and this beam or flow is used to treat (e.g. dope or coat or otherwise modify) a substrate, e.g. an advanced material such as a semiconductor layer, a photovoltaic cell, or a solar cell. The beam or flow can also be directed into a storage zone so that the precursor or precursors can be collected for future use. The beam or flow is created in an apparatus comprising at least three zones. Zone 1 is irradiated with microwave energy to generate a reactive gas rich in free radicals (e.g. rich in H.sup.., CH.sub.3.sup.., etc.) zone 2 (downstream from zone 1) is substantially free of microwave energy and contains a target which is impinged upon by the free radicals and becomes a source of the precursor; zone 3 (downstream from zone 2) is where the precursors are either collected for storage or are used to treat the substrate. In a typical apparatus of this invention, a feed gas such as H.sub.2 or CH.sub.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for producing chromium oxide powders, which comprises forming an aqueous slurry wherein the solids content is a mixture which consists essentially of in percent by weight about 5 to 15 chromium acetate and the balance chromium oxide, agglomerating the mixture, sintering the resulting agglomerated mixture in a hydrogen atmosphere at a temperature at about 1400.degree. C. to about 1550.degree. C. in metallic vessels, entraining the sintered chromium oxide powder in a carrier gas, passing the sintered chromium oxide powder and the carrier gas through a plasma flame at a power of about 10 to about 80 KW using an inert gas as the plasma gas, and cooling the resulting plasma heated chromium oxide powder to produce free flowing chromium oxide powder having a free chromium content of less than about 1% by weight.

Abstract: A method to purify impure gaseous hydrogen chloride containing an unsaturated chlorinated hydrocarbon contaminant in an amount less than that necessary to inhibit purification, comprising exposing the impure hydrogen chloride to an ultraviolet light source in the presence of gaseous chloride for a sufficient time for the gaseous chloride to react with organic impurities in the hydrogen chloride to form heavier organic compounds and thereafter separating the heavier compounds from the hydrogen chloride.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of recovering chemicals from spent liquors while at the same time utilizing energy liberated during the process. The spent liquors are gasified and partially disintegrated in a reactor (1), external thermal energy independent of combustion being simultaneously supplied to the reaction zone (2) of the reactor, after which the resultant melt is separated (at 9) at substantially the temperature prevailing at combustion, the gaseous product thereby formed being quenched in a quenching and cooling zone (6), to a temperature below 950.degree. C. A product gas is thus obtained which contains substantially no sulphur impurities, an alkali product with high sulphide content and an alkali product substantially free from sulphide and having low Na.sub.2 CO.sub.3 content.

Abstract: Trichlorosilane, SiHCl.sub.3, is facilely prepared by (i) thermally reducing silicon tetrachloride, SiCl.sub.4, with hydrogen to produce reaction admixture comprising SiHCl.sub.3 and hydrochloric acid, said thermal reduction being carried out in a thermal plasma while tempering the reaction medium with a cooling gas, (ii) reacting said step (i) reaction admixture with elemental silicon at a temperature of from about 250.degree. to 350.degree. C. to produce SiHCl.sub.3 and hydrogen therefrom, and thence (iii) separating (iiia) the plasma-creating, hydrogen and cooling gases, and (iiib) product silicon chlorides therefrom.

Abstract: A method of recovering alkaline chemicals from a material containing sodium or potassium compounds. The material is gasified by an external heat source after which the gas is rapidly cooled by arranging it to contact with cooled solid particles separated from the gas.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for separating and/or chemically converting components of a fluid mixture. The method comprises imparting an electrostatic charge to an array of fine particles, introducing the particles into a separation vessel, maintaining uniform dispersion of the particles within the vessel by charging the walls of the vessel with the same electrostatic charges then on the particles, causing a mixture to flow into the vessel, holding the fluid mixture in the vessels for a period of time such that at least one of the components of the mixture is sorbed by, reacts with, or reacts because of the catalytic action of the particles, and causing the altered fluid mixture to flow out of the vessel.

Abstract: An improved process is disclosed for the high pressure plasma hydrogenation of silicon tetrachloride. Hydrogen and silicon tetrachloride are reacted in the presence of a high pressure plasma and further in the presence of a boron catalyst to form trichlorosilane and dichlorosilane. By adding the boron catalyst the overall conversion efficiency is increased and the dichlorosilane content in the reaction effluent is increased.

Abstract: A diamondlike carbon film is deposited in the surface of a substrate by exposing the surface to an argon ion beam containing a hydrocarbon. The current density in the ion beam is low during initial deposition of the film.Subsequent to this initial low current condition, the ion beam is increased to full power. At the same time a second argon ion beam is directed toward the surface of the substrate. The second ion beam has an energy level much greater than that of the ion beam containing the hydrocarbon. This addition of energy to the system increases mobility of the condensing atoms and serves to remove lesser bound atoms.

Abstract: A carbon coating (36) is vacuum arc deposited on a smooth surface of a target (10) which is simultaneously ion beam sputtered. The bombarding ions have sufficient energy to create diamond bonds. Spalling occurs as the carbon deposit thickens. The resulting diamondlike carbon flakes (26) are mixed with a binder or matrix material (40) to form a composite material (42) having improved thermal, electrical, mechanical, and tribological properties when used in aerospace structures and components.

Abstract: Polycrystalline silicon is produced by a high pressure plasma process. A silicon halide or halosilane is reacted with hydrogen in the presence of a high pressure plasma to deposit silicon on a heated substrate. The effluent from this reaction is collected, the silicon-bearing compounds separated out, and re-introduced to the deposition reaction. The initial silicon bearing compound can be inexpensive silicon tetrachloride. Maximum utilization of all silicon bearing reaction products maximizes polycrystalline silicon production efficiency.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for the plasma hydrogenation of silicon tetrachloride. A high pressure plasma is utilized to effect a reaction of hydrogen and silicon tetrachloride to form trichlorosilane and other hydrogenated silicon chlorides.

Abstract: An improved method of producing carbon monoxide in a plasma arc reactor is disclosed, wherein carbon dioxide is delivered to an arc to form a plasma into which solid carbon is delivered. The products are quenched and filtered to yield carbon monoxide. High yields of carbon monoxide of high purity and high efficiencies of electrical-to-chemical conversion thus may be achieved.

Abstract: Helical flow of hot plasma gas, e.g., hydrogen gas, produced by a gas vortex stabilized plasma arc is cancelled by introducing attenuating gas, e.g., hydrogen gas, into the hot plasma gas in a manner such that the attenuating gas assumes a vortical direction opposite to the helical flow of the hot plasma gas. The resulting gas stream is well-collimated. The well-collimated plasma gas stream is used in the preparation of finely-divided refractory metal and metalloid carbides, borides, nitrides, silicides and sulfides. Reactants for the preparation of the aforementioned refractory powders are introduced into the collimated plasma gas stream. The reaction is conducted in the gas phase within a reactor and solid, finely-divided refractory powder removed from the reactor.