Methods and apparatus provide for: producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas; feeding an elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material is heated within the plasma plume; and spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume, where the feedstock material is a mixture of compounds that have been mixed, formed into the elongate shape, and at least partially sintered.

Pig iron and spherical silica-based proppant are extracted and produced through the use of formers, fluxes, reductants, and stabilizers, at predetermined specified weight ratios. The base material utilized in this process is slag, typically derived from the mining industry. The slag is delivered and utilized in a manner that allows the adding and mixing of the various materials such as, but not limited to, carbon, calcium oxide, sodium oxide, aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, and potassium oxide. The formulated mixture is then heated for a predetermined period of time, based upon weight to a liquid state, wherein the molten pig iron is separated from the molten silica glass. The molten pig iron is then poured into molds, and the molten silica glass is atomized into spherical proppant. The process is particularly well suited to slags produced from copper smelting, but can be extended to slags from other commodities and industries.

A method of forming particles that includes performing a strong force attenuation of a mixture to form pre-particles. The mixture including a base compound and a dielectric additive having an elevated dielectric constant dispersed therein. The pre-particles are then dielectrically spun in an electrostatic field to further attenuate the pre-particles and form the particles.

Methods and apparatus provide for: producing a plasma plume within a plasma containment vessel from a source of plasma gas; feeding an elongate feedstock material having a longitudinal axis into the plasma containment vessel such that at least a distal end of the feedstock material is heated within the plasma plume; and spinning the feedstock material about the longitudinal axis as the distal end of the feedstock material advances into the plasma plume, where the feedstock material is a mixture of compounds that have been mixed, formed into the elongate shape, and at least partially sintered.