| Abstract: | AEROSPATIALE has, for more than 20 years, developed and perfected a device intended to simulate the atmospheric re-entry conditions: the plasma torch. This technology, developed for the needs of space industry, is also applicable in other industrial fields like metallurgy or waste disposal. For most residues, as, for instance, for polymer residues (in particular for composite materials), incineration is the best solution to be considered. Although the organic molecule may be a real danger for man and his environment, it is possible to split it into elementary molecules easy to eliminate without risks by the simultaneous application of heat and a specific chemical environment. The use of additives in the polymers makes it necessary in most cases to use temperatures as high as possible; these high temperatures have the additional advantage of preventing harmful recombinations in the reaction chamber. Only plasma processes give the possibility to ensure high temperatures in large capacity chambers in a controlled atmosphere. |
