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| Plasma Furnacing ? ? ? |
| Updated 11/5/2006 |
What is all the hoopla about Plasma Furnacing I see advertised
in popular Mining Journals?
Is there anything to it?
Well folks, Like Barnum said..."There's a sucker born every minute".
Some stuff in this world works, and some is just so much Hog Gas.....to
put it politely.
Today in North America, there are 5 Plasma furnaces, all owned and
operated by companies closely allied to Governmental work, in defense
and other related projects.
They are huge systems, gobbling up megawatts when in operation,
dimming the lights in local towns, so often run at odd hours because of
their huge appetite for electricity. Japan has a few for eliminating
garbage, and Mintek operates some in South Africa for the gold industry,
etc.
For you and I, there is a snowball's chance in Hades of getting one to
function in a meaningful way, except as small, tinker toy versions that
have exceedingly small capacities, below 1 kilo...and which make the
electric meter spin like a Dremel tool.
Recently we had the misfortune , as have many others, of traipsing
across country to see this mythical beast, watch it actually function, or at
least make a deal to get ore run.......
There are several characters out there peddling this fable who have not
the vaguest concept of metallurgy, chemical interactions, or know what is
going on in their tiny home built units, that they are trying to foist on the
public at truly astronomical prices...($25,000. plus, we were told), without
a demonstration, evidence or other data...
Just as always...a fast-talking hustle about how glorious life will be when
we part with this princely sum.
So, like others, we were informed of our ignorance in such matters of lofty
knowledge, and sent packing after it was determined we were not quite
that gullible.
Even so, a week's time and several thousand dollars vaporized in the
mighty quest.
Since that time, others have come forward as well, repeating this same
sad story, as more people get sucked into this scam.
in popular Mining Journals?
Is there anything to it?
Well folks, Like Barnum said..."There's a sucker born every minute".
Some stuff in this world works, and some is just so much Hog Gas.....to
put it politely.
Today in North America, there are 5 Plasma furnaces, all owned and
operated by companies closely allied to Governmental work, in defense
and other related projects.
They are huge systems, gobbling up megawatts when in operation,
dimming the lights in local towns, so often run at odd hours because of
their huge appetite for electricity. Japan has a few for eliminating
garbage, and Mintek operates some in South Africa for the gold industry,
etc.
For you and I, there is a snowball's chance in Hades of getting one to
function in a meaningful way, except as small, tinker toy versions that
have exceedingly small capacities, below 1 kilo...and which make the
electric meter spin like a Dremel tool.
Recently we had the misfortune , as have many others, of traipsing
across country to see this mythical beast, watch it actually function, or at
least make a deal to get ore run.......
There are several characters out there peddling this fable who have not
the vaguest concept of metallurgy, chemical interactions, or know what is
going on in their tiny home built units, that they are trying to foist on the
public at truly astronomical prices...($25,000. plus, we were told), without
a demonstration, evidence or other data...
Just as always...a fast-talking hustle about how glorious life will be when
we part with this princely sum.
So, like others, we were informed of our ignorance in such matters of lofty
knowledge, and sent packing after it was determined we were not quite
that gullible.
Even so, a week's time and several thousand dollars vaporized in the
mighty quest.
Since that time, others have come forward as well, repeating this same
sad story, as more people get sucked into this scam.
| What is going on? |
On the surface, the concept of Plasma Furnacing is entirely valid...and called
"High-Temperature Fusion".
Truly magical things happen in the process of fusion that cannot be easily duplicated by
conventional furnace melts, it is true.
Often the yields are doubled, or more!
If you STILL want to make one....it is much simpler than buying a pitch-man's spiel....and
the "Blue-Sky he is selling.....
A large welding transformer, of 200 amps or more, using carbon or graphite rods,
submerged into the smelting pool, will give you the temperatures you are after (5,600
degrees and higher), but once again, it is an art, and requires computer-controlled burn
rates, special cooling in hollow copper crucibles, water-cooled
leads, and a host of sophisticated controls most of us are not prepared to create.
These are called "Submerged DC Arc Furnaces".
* PS...these are VERY expensive to build, buy and operate.
"High-Temperature Fusion".
Truly magical things happen in the process of fusion that cannot be easily duplicated by
conventional furnace melts, it is true.
Often the yields are doubled, or more!
If you STILL want to make one....it is much simpler than buying a pitch-man's spiel....and
the "Blue-Sky he is selling.....
A large welding transformer, of 200 amps or more, using carbon or graphite rods,
submerged into the smelting pool, will give you the temperatures you are after (5,600
degrees and higher), but once again, it is an art, and requires computer-controlled burn
rates, special cooling in hollow copper crucibles, water-cooled
leads, and a host of sophisticated controls most of us are not prepared to create.
These are called "Submerged DC Arc Furnaces".
* PS...these are VERY expensive to build, buy and operate.