Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. Heat loss and melt-surface disruptions can be minimized with an engineered overburden material, which covers at least a portion of an exposed surface of the material to be treated.

Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. Insulating lining may comprise one or more layers of a thermal insulating material, one or more layers of refractory material, or a combination thereof. The material to be treated may be heated by placing at least two electrodes in the material to be treated and passing a current between the electrodes, or alternatively, by placing at least one heating element in the material to be treated and passing heat into the material to be treated.

Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. The insulating lining may comprise one or more layers of a thermal insulating material, one or more layers of refractory material, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. The time required for startup of the melting procedure can be reduced by utilizing a plurality of electrodes and multiple starter paths, at least one of which is horizontally-oriented and positioned in a deeper region of the melt container.

Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. Insulating lining may comprise one or more layers of a thermal insulating material, one or more layers of refractory material, or a combination thereof. The material to be treated may be heated by placing at least two electrodes in the material to be treated and passing a current between the electrodes, or alternatively, by placing at least one heating element in the material to be treated and passing heat into the material to be treated.

Abstract: A process for melting material to be treated includes placing material to be treated in a container that may include an insulating lining, heating the material to be treated and melting the material to be treated, preferably allowing the melted material to cool to form a vitrified and/or crystalline mass, and disposing of the mass. The mass is either disposed while contained in container or removed from container after cooling and disposed. Insulating lining may comprise one or more layers of a thermal insulating material, one or more layers of refractory material, or a combination thereof. The material to be treated may be heated by placing at least two electrodes in the material to be treated and passing a current between the electrodes, or alternatively, by placing at least one heating element in the material to be treated and passing heat into the material to be treated.

Abstract: A method of melting solid materials while controlling melt shape, without the expenditure of energy to melt unwanted quantities of surrounding materials, and an apparatus to effect the method. The method comprises the use of a planar starter path between electrodes so as to initiate melting and/or vitrification in a plane rather than in a discrete linear path between electrodes. Because melting is initiated along a significant portion of the linear dimension of the electrodes, creating a melted zone that is deeper than it is thick, the aspect ratio (depth "Y"/width "Z") of the melted mass is greater than 1.0.