The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 31, 1987
Filed:
Jan. 30, 1986
Salvador L Camacho, Raleigh, NC (US);
Jack L Dochterman, Raleigh, NC (US);
Richard D Lindsay, Raleigh, NC (US);
Plasma Energy Corporation, Raleigh, NC (US);
Abstract
As apparatus and method is disclosed which is adapted to melt metallic fines, and which is useful for processing metallic fines into a useful form. The apparatus may also be used in the smelting of metallic oxides, and in combining metals in an alloying process. The disclosed embodiment of the apparatus includes a furnace having a hearth, a pair of tubular residence chambers each extending upwardly from the hearth, a first plasma torch mounted at the upper end of each residence chamber, and a second plasma torch mounted for heating the material on the hearth. The powdered or granular material is fed into the upper end of each residence chamber, such that the material is at least partially melted from the heat of the first torch while falling through the residence chamber, and the material is further heated and completely melted on the hearth by the second torch. Where smelting is performed, a granular metallic oxide and a granular reductant such as carbon is introduced into the residence chambers, so that the heat of the first torches causes the reduction of the metallic oxide. Where alloying of the metal being treated is desired, there is provided a portal in the wall of the furnace for permitting scrap or other metallic material to be fed directly to the hearth.