Numerical and experimental investigations on thermal interaction between thermal plasma and solid polymer powders using induction thermal plasma technique

The interaction between thermal plasma and polymer solid powders was investigated using the inductively coupled thermal plasma (ICTP) technique. Interaction between thermal plasmas and polymers is extremely important, for example, for design of down-sized circuit breakers, because it fundamentally affects the interruption capability of the circuit breakers. The ICTP technique was used in this work because it presents the advantages of no contamination and good repeatability. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyethylene (PE), and polyoxymethylene (POM) were treated as polymer materials. Numerical modelling for injection of polymer solid powders into Ar thermal plasma was also made including thermal interactions between thermal plasmas and polymer powders. Results showed that PMMA-ablated vapour has a higher plasma-quenching efficiency than others; the polymer solid properties affect the plasma-quenching ability indirectly. Comparison of the calculated results with experimental results showed good agreement from the viewpoints of the spatial distribution of ablated vapour concentration and the average solid particle velocity