Plasma-Arc Technology

The NSCMP had proposed that plasma arc technology be used primarily for the destruction of neutralent waste streams, e.g., it was a candidate for the direct destruction of the binary CWM components DF and QL, stored at Pine Bluff Arsenal. MGC/PLASMOX tests indicated a through-... 

The Army has identified approximately a dozen vendors of plasma arc technology in the United States, although none is currently permitted to treat hazardous waste or nonstockpile CWM (NRC, 2002). 

Recommendation Additional testing of plasma arc technology should be done to ensure that proposed plasma arc... 

Plasma arc technology has been used successfully in Europe to destroy chemical warfare material but has not been permitted in the United States. Currendy, PMCD is optimistic that it will have little difficulty in obtaining a permit. They have identified several plasma arc firms in this country that have operational units, but none has destroyed a CW-related waste stream. If the ACWA program does not develop a continuous SCWO system that is cost-effective for use on the quantities of materiel to be destroyed in the nonstockpile program and if a permit for the plasma arc technology cannot be obtained in time, the Army may be forced to incinerate its waste streams to comply with the CWC treaty deadline of April 2007... 

Plasma arc technology ntilizes the electrical discharge of a gas to prodnce a field of intense radiant energy and high-... 

There has been no recorded destruction of NSCWM by plasma arc technology in the United States however, as part of the technology test program (see Table 2-4), PMNSCM hired Stone Webster to conduct tests of the Burns and Roe PLASMOX plasma arc process on simulated H and GB... 

Recommendation 2-10. Additional testing of plasma arc technology should be done to ensure that proposed plasma arc systems are capable of meeting the requirements of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and state requirements. 

Lynch, P.E. 2002. Evaluation of PLASMA ARC Technology for Treatment of Non-Stockpile Chemical Warfare Materiel. Febmary. Alameda, Calif. Clearwater Revival Company. 

Plasma arc technology utilizes electrical discharges to produce a field of intense radiant energy and high-temperature ions and electrons that cause dissociation of chemical compounds in a containment vessel. Operating at electron temperatures as high as 20,000°C, material exposed to the plasma environment is transformed into atoms, ions, and electrons. 

Mittetek ranked the six technologies in the following order of preference (1) SCWO, (2) GPCR, (3) plasma arc technology, (4) silver II, (5) SET, and (6) hydrolysis/biotreatment (Mitretek, 1999). 

Plasma-arc technology oxidation very high low to moderate... 

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