An installation for destroying waste includes at least traces of energetic materials, comprising: an enclosure delimited by lateral walls, the enclosure being filled with a liquid medium up to a first level; a chamber comprising: an inlet intended to supply the chamber with waste to be destroyed by combustion in the chamber; an outlet; a discharge line extending between a first end and a second end, the first end being connected to the outlet of the chamber, the second end being situated in the liquid medium, the discharge line rising, between its first end and its second end, to a second level which is higher than the first level, the discharge line being configured to discharge, at the second end, gases and volatile solid residues which are produced in the chamber during combustion.

An apparatus for the destruction of a precursor material includes a steam plasma reactor having a high temperature zone and a combustion zone. The high temperature zone is adapted for hydrolyzing the precursor material, whereas the combustion zone is adapted to effect medium temperature oxidation of the reactant stream where combustion oxygen or air is injected. A quenching unit is provided at an exit end of the reactor for quenching a resulting gas stream to avoid the formation of unwanted by-products.

A two step process for the destruction of a precursor material using a steam plasma in a three zone reactor wherein the precursor material is hydrolyzed as a first step in the high temperature zone of the reactor, followed by a second step of medium temperature oxidation of the reactant stream in the combustion zone of the reactor where combustion oxygen or air is injected and immediate quenching of the resulting gas stream to avoid the formation of unwanted by-products. A related apparatus includes a non transferred direct current steam plasma torch, an externally cooled three zone steam plasma reactor means for introducing the precursor material into the plasma plume of the plasma torch, means for introducing the combustion air or oxygen into the combustion zone, means for exiting the reactant mixture from the reactor and means for quenching the reactant mixture located at the exit end of the reactor.

A two step process for the destruction of a precursor material using a steam plasma in a three zone reactor wherein the precursor material is hydrolyzed as a first step in the high temperature zone of the reactor, followed by a second step of medium temperature oxidation of the reactant stream in the combustion zone of the reactor where combustion oxygen or air is injected and immediate quenching of the resulting gas stream to avoid the formation of unwanted by-products. A related apparatus includes a non transferred direct current steam plasma torch, an externally cooled three zone steam plasma reactor means for introducing the precursor material into the plasma plume of the plasma torch, means for introducing the combustion air or oxygen into the combustion zone, means for exiting the reactant mixture from the reactor and means for quenching the reactant mixture located at the exit end of the reactor.

A system for combusting particulate solids comprises a hopper, a furnace and a secondary afterburner. The furnace further comprises at least one exothermic continuous reaction vessel (ECRV) that has a volume that is significantly smaller than the volume of the furnace, which operates at a temperature that is higher than the temperature in the remainder of the furnace, the temperature being high enough to auto-ignite the particulates when they enter the ECRV. The ECRV rotates in unison with a conveyor that delivers the solid particulates from a hopper. The apparatus is energy efficient, with few working parts, and provides combusted particulate solids that can be disposed of directly without environmental concerns.