摘要 |
Helical flow of hot plasma gas, e.g., hydrogen gas, produced by a gas vortex stabilized plasma arc is cancelled by introducing attenuating gas, e.g., hydrogen gas, into the hot plasma gas in a manner such that the attenuating gas assumes a vortical direction opposite to the helical flow of the hot plasma gas. The resulting gas stream is well-collimated. The well-collimated plasma gas stream is used in the preparation of finely-divided refractory metal and metalloid carbides, borides, nitrides, silicides and sulfides. Reactants for the preparation of the aforementioned refractory powders are introduced into the collimated plasma gas stream. The reaction is conducted in the gas phase within a reactor and solid, finely-divided refractory powder removed from the reactor. |