An irradiator includes: a piezoelectric transformer accommodated in a housing; a first electrode connected to the piezoelectric transformer, to which a voltage is applied from the piezoelectric transformer; and an irradiation opening that ejects at least one of a plasma generated by the first electrode and an active gas generated by the plasma. At least a part of the first electrode is located between the piezoelectric transformer and the irradiation opening.

The invention concerns a process for the separation of cobalt from lithium present in a charge comprising lithium-ion batteries or related products, comprising the steps of: smelting the charge using a bath furnace equipped with a submerged air-fed plasma torch for injecting plasma gas into the melt; defining and maintaining a bath redox potential where cobalt is reduced to the metallic state and reporting to an alloy phase, and whereby lithium is oxidized as Li.sub.2O and reporting to the slag phase; decanting and separating the phases. It is characterized in that the reduction and oxidizing steps are performed simultaneously. A suitably low cobalt concentration is obtained in the slag.

A method and coating system are provided that use a temperature controlled gas flow to smooth a surface of a ceramic, like a thermal barrier coating (TBC). Thermal spray coating unit coats a ceramic on a surface. The thermal spray coating unit creates a flow of ceramic material towards the surface. A layer of at least partially molten ceramic material on the surface is smoothed by transmitting a flow of temperature controlled gas across the at least partially molten ceramic material on the surface after the thermal spray coating of the ceramic on the surface. The solidified ceramic has a smoother surface that requires much less polishing to attain a desired surface roughness.

A method and coating system are provided that use a temperature controlled gas flow to smooth a surface of a ceramic, like a thermal barrier coating (TBC). Thermal spray coating unit coats a ceramic on a surface. The thermal spray coating unit creates a flow of ceramic material towards the surface. A layer of at least partially molten ceramic material on the surface is smoothed by transmitting a flow of temperature controlled gas across the at least partially molten ceramic material on the surface after the thermal spray coating of the ceramic on the surface. The solidified ceramic has a smoother surface that requires much less polishing to attain a desired surface roughness.

Provided is a film forming device that deposits, on a substrate, a product generated by decomposing raw material gas by a plasma discharged from a discharge port of a double tube, the device including: an inner tube through which raw material gas containing a film-forming raw material flows and is guided to the discharge port on a downstream side; an outer tube that has the inner tube inserted thereinto and through which plasma-generating gas flows and a plasma generated by discharge is guided to the discharge port on the downstream side; a first electrode that is formed in an annular shape around the outer tube and grounded; and a second electrode that is formed in an annular shape around the outer tube and to which a voltage is applied. The second electrode is disposed on the downstream side with respect to the first electrode, and assuming that a length of the second electrode in an axial direction is L1 and a diameter of the outer tube is D1, a relationship of L1≥D1 is satisfied.

Provided is a film forming device that deposits, on a substrate, a product generated by decomposing raw material gas by a plasma discharged from a discharge port of a double tube, the device including: an inner tube through which raw material gas containing a film-forming raw material flows and is guided to the discharge port on a downstream side; an outer tube that has the inner tube inserted thereinto and through which plasma-generating gas flows and a plasma generated by discharge is guided to the discharge port on the downstream side; a first electrode that is formed in an annular shape around the outer tube and grounded; and a second electrode that is formed in an annular shape around the outer tube and to which a voltage is applied. The second electrode is disposed on the downstream side with respect to the first electrode, and assuming that a length of the second electrode in an axial direction is L1 and a diameter of the outer tube is D1, a relationship of L1≥D1 is satisfied.

The present disclosure discloses a numerically-controlled plasma special-shaped cutting machine tool including a bracket, a cross beam, a feeding mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a gun head moving mechanism, a material conveying system, a material receiving device, a dedusting system, an electrical control system, and an outer cover. The present disclosure adopts plasma cutting, and the surface quality is obviously improved. Material conveying and cutting are performed by a predetermined program programmed in advance, and the dimensional precision of the machining is well ensured. Workers only need to place a workpiece material on the material conveying system, and the machine tool can perform automatic cutting. The labor intensity of the workers is greatly reduced, the cutting is continuously performed, and the machining efficiency is remarkably improved.

The present disclosure discloses a numerically-controlled plasma special-shaped cutting machine tool including a bracket, a cross beam, a feeding mechanism, a clamping mechanism, a gun head moving mechanism, a material conveying system, a material receiving device, a dedusting system, an electrical control system, and an outer cover. The present disclosure adopts plasma cutting, and the surface quality is obviously improved. Material conveying and cutting are performed by a predetermined program programmed in advance, and the dimensional precision of the machining is well ensured. Workers only need to place a workpiece material on the material conveying system, and the machine tool can perform automatic cutting. The labor intensity of the workers is greatly reduced, the cutting is continuously performed, and the machining efficiency is remarkably improved.

Apparatuses and methods for producing covetic materials by exciting a hydrocarbon gas with pulse microwaves to form hydrocarbon radicals in a hot first region of a microwave reactor. Graphene nanoplatelets are formed by the nucleation, growth and assembly of the hydrocarbon radicals, and contact a metal melt introduced downstream of the hot region to produce a mixture of molten metal and graphene nanoplatelets which assemble in-flight to form covetic materials. Graphene planes are infused in the metal matrix to achieve carbon loadings of at least 60%.

Provided is a thermal spraying apparatus that forms a film on a target by thermally spraying a conductive powder by plasma, the thermal spraying apparatus including: a first electrode provided with a first cavity through which the conductive powder from a powder supplier passes; and a second electrode provided with a second cavity through which the conductive powder from the first electrode passes, in which the plasma is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode.