1. The current state of development of thermal plasmas

Thermal plasmas cover a very wide range of applications at power levels below 200-300 kW (cutting and welding of metal parts, surface treatments and deposits, spheroidization and particle purification, chemical analysis, synthesis of nanometric or ultra-fine powders, manufacture of shaped parts), as well as a few at power levels between 0.5 and 100 MW, such as heating of casting tundishes, chemical synthesis (acetylene, titanium dioxide, etc.), extractive metallurgy and, since the 1990s, waste treatment.), extractive metallurgy and, since the 1990s, waste treatment. Some applications are very well established (some since the 1940s), but generally since the 1960s, and others are still in the making.

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