PLASMA PROCESS AND REACTOR FOR TREATING METALLIC PIECES

摘要

The plasma reactor (10) defines a reaction chamber (23) provided with a support (30) for the metallic pieces (1) and an anode-cathode system (40), and a heating means (70) is mounted externally to said plasma reactor (10). The plasma process, for a cleaning operation, comprises the steps of connecting the support (30) to the grounded anode and the cathode to a negative potential of a power source (50); feeding an ionizable gaseous charge into the reaction chamber (23) and heating the latter at vaporization temperatures of piece contaminants; applying an electrical discharge to the cathode; and providing the exhaustion of the gaseous charge and contaminants. A subsequent heat treatment comprises the steps of: inverting the energization polarity of the anode-cathode system (40); feeding a new gaseous charge to the reaction chamber (23) and maintaining it heated; applying an electrical discharge to the cathode; and exhausting the gaseous charge from the reaction chamber (23).