Apparatus and methods are provided that are capable of mass production of particulate materials, such as graphene particulates. The apparatus comprises an ignition assembly that comprises readily interchangeable electrode cassettes and that may be configured to self-clean in between the combustion cycles in which the particulate materials are generated. Methods of generating the particulate materials require low energy inputs in order to initiate the combustion reaction, which is then self-sustaining until the reactants are depleted.

The present invention discloses a coal-to-acetylene plasma reactor having coking inhibition and online decoking functions, comprising a vertically arranged cathode rod, an anode and a circulating cooling water jacket arranged outside the anode, the anode includes from top to bottom an anode of the electric arc operation section for cooperating with the cathode rod to generate an electric arc, and an anode of the reaction section located below the electric arc, the anode is grounded, the inner diameter of the anode of the reaction section is 1.2 to 10 times the inner diameter of the anode of the electric arc operation section, and the junction of the anode of the reaction section and the anode of the electric arc operation section is circumferentially provided with a decoking nozzle that can spray a decoking medium toward the anode of the reaction section. The present invention uses the method of changing the inner diameter of the reactor and setting nozzles for diaphragm protection, fundamentally suppressing or even eliminating the coking phenomenon during the operation of the reactor, no need to set the decoking cycle, and realizing the continuous cracking operation of the reactor.

A process comprises feeding a stream of reactant compounds to a reactor and discharging a liquid plasma into the reactant stream in the reactor, wherein the plasma initiates or accelerates a reaction of the reactant compounds to form a product composition. The reactor can comprise one or more chambers, a high-voltage electrode positioned at a first portion of the one or more chambers, a ground electrode positioned at a second portion of the one or more chambers, and a dielectric plate between the ground electrode and the high-voltage electrode that comprises openings through which the reactant stream can pass from the first portion to the second portion or from the second portion to the first portion. Discharging the plasma can include supplying electrical power to the high-voltage electrode such that plasma is discharged where the reactant stream flows through the openings.

The disclosure relates to a device for making charged nanoparticles, the device includes: an atomizer configured to atomize a solution into micro-scaled droplets; a first electrode and a second electrode substantially parallel with and spaced from each other, a power supply configured to apply a voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode, at least one first through-hole is defined on the first electrode and at least one second through-hole is defined on the second electrode to allow the micro-scaled droplets to pass through.

The disclosure relates to a method for making charged nanoparticles, the method includes: providing a solution with a first solute; atomizing the solution into micro-scaled droplets; providing a charged electrode with at least one through-hole, a negative or positive electric potential is applied to the electrode; allowing the micro-scaled droplets to pass through the at least one through-hole.

A production apparatus for fine particles includes a vacuum chamber, a material feeding device connected to the vacuum chamber and feeding material particles from a material feeding port into the vacuum chamber, electrodes arranged in the vacuum chamber for generating plasma and a fine particle collection device connected to the vacuum chamber and collecting fine particles. The fine particles are produced from the material by generating electric discharge inside the vacuum chamber. The apparatus includes an inner chamber which forms an outside space with respect to the vacuum chamber installed between a wall of the vacuum chamber and a plasma generation region and gas supply pipes which supply a gas to the outside space between the wall of the vacuum chamber and a wall of the inner chamber.

A method for using plasma to activate biochar is disclosed where reactive gas(es) are excited by external power; biochar set on a sample holder is electrically biased or set at a floating potential so that charged particles of a certain type are attracted to the biochar, leading to intensive chemical reactions.

The present invention concerns a reactor for the conversion of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide into hydrocarbon and/or alcohol comprising a support made from an electrically and thermally conductive material, forming the wall or walls of at least one longitudinal channel that passes through the support and also acting as the cathode of the reactor, at least one wire electrode forming an anode of the reactor, and extending within each longitudinal channel, and being arranged at a distance from the wall or walls of the longitudinal channel, each wire electrode optionally being covered with an electrically insulating layer along the part of the wire electrode extending within the longitudinal channel, a catalyst capable of catalysing a conversion reaction for the conversion of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide into hydrocarbon and/or alcohol, the catalyst being situated between the wire electrode and the wall or walls of each longitudinal channel.

A method for manufacturing a porous carbon material doped with a heterogeneous element and a porous carbon material doped with a heterogeneous element manufactured using the method are proposed. The method includes melting carbon precursor powder that contains one or more kinds of heterogeneous elements selected from metal and nonmetal to prepare a precursor melt; disposing a pair of metal wires in the precursor melt; and applying power to the metal wires to perform plasma-discharge, thus forming and aggregating carbon nanoparticles doped with the heterogeneous element while having a micropore and thereby forming a porous carbon material having a meso-macro hierarchical pore structure. As the heterogeneous element is bound to carbon of the carbon precursor, the carbon nanoparticles are formed in an amorphous structure while being doped with the heterogeneous element, thus increasing an active site.

A process comprises feeding a stream of reactant compounds to a reactor and discharging a liquid plasma into the reactant stream in the reactor, wherein the plasma initiates or accelerates a reaction of the reactant compounds to form a product composition. The reactor can comprise one or more chambers, a high-voltage electrode positioned at a first portion of the one or more chambers, a ground electrode positioned at a second portion of the one or more chambers, and a dielectric plate between the ground electrode and the high-voltage electrode that comprises openings through which the reactant stream can pass from the first portion to the second portion or from the second portion to the first portion. Discharging the plasma can include supplying electrical power to the high-voltage electrode such that plasma is discharged where the reactant stream flows through the openings.