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.

In order to provide a method for the purification of a raw gas stream containing water vapour that is simple and cost-efficient to perform, it is proposed that the method should comprise the following: feeding the raw gas stream to a reforming region in which contaminants in the raw gas stream react chemically with the water vapour in the raw gas stream, as a result of which a reformed raw gas stream is obtained; feeding the reformed raw gas stream and an oxidising agent stream to an oxidation region in which constituent parts of the reformed raw gas stream react chemically with oxidising agent of the oxidising agent stream, as a result of which a clean gas stream is obtained. Moreover, optionally a closed-loop control of the oxygen content is provided. Further, it is optionally provided for the clean gas stream to be fed to a condenser, as a result of which the volumetric flow of the clean gas stream is reduced and/or as a result of which energy can be recovered and used for pre-heating the oxidising agent and for other production processes.

A thermal oxidizer employing an oxidation mixer, an oxidation chamber, a retention chamber and a heat dissipater forming a fluid flow path for thermal oxidation of a waste gas. In operation, the oxidation mixer facilitates a combustible mixture of the waste gas and an oxidant into an combustible waste gas stream, the oxidation chamber facilitates a primary combustion reaction of the combustible waste gas stream into an oxygenated waste gas stream, the retention chamber facilitates a secondary combustion reaction of the oxygenated waste gas stream into oxidized gases and the heat dissipator reduces the temperature of the flow of oxidized gases within the heat dissipator, which is communicated to a greenhouse gas processor that extracts greenhouse gas(es) from the vaporized oxidized gases. The greenhouse gas processor may condensate the greenhouse gas(es), acid neutralize the condensation of the greenhouse gas(es), and capture the acid neutralization of the condensation of the greenhouse gas(es).