The high energy content
of plasmas compared to that of ordinary gases or even the highest temperature
combustion flames offers unlimited potential for its use in a number of significant modern industrial
applications.
WHAT
IS PLASMA?
People are
very familiar with the solid, liquid and gaseous states of matter, but not
with plasma, the fourth state of matter, which is obtained at sufficiently
high energy densities.
Plasma is an ionized gas comprising molecules, atoms, ions (in their ground
or in various excited states), electrons and photons. It is electrically conductive since there are free electrons and ions present, and is in local electrical neutrality, since the numbers of free electrons and ions are equal. More than 99% of our known
universe is in the plasma state. Lightning and auroras are other common examples
on earth.
The high energy content
of plasmas compared to that of ordinary gases or even the highest temperature
combustion flames offers unlimited potential for its use in a number of significant modern industrial
applications.