METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CLEAVING HYDROCARBONS Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: hydrogen and carbon black production. SUBSTANCE: in a method of cleaving hydrocarbons to produce hydrogen and carbon black, feeding raw material stream travels through plasma burner which causes its pyrolytic cleavage. According to invention, raw material stream is transported through plasma burner by means of cooled inlet pipe and is subjected to the first heating in the region located in close proximity to plasma flame body. In the region immediately below plasma flame body, hydrocarbon material is mixed with plasma gas, temperature of raw material being risen to its cleavage temperature. In this region free hydrogen and dehydrogenated carbon material in the form of liquid droplets are formed. This material moves through one or several consecutive zones where ultimate cleavage of hydrocarbons occurs. Into this region, some more raw material can be introduced which gives rise to decrease in temperature and to reaction with just formed carbon black. This results in increasing size of particles, their density, and amount of produced material with no additional power source. Product is discharged and separated, whereas hot gas, in order to achieve more energetic efficiency, may be transferred to burner through return pipe. apparatus contains plasma burner, inlet pipe for raw material, reaction chamber lined with graphite, product outlet port, and produced gas recycling pipe connected with plasma burner. Inlet pipe is disposed inside the burner coaxially with principal axis of the latter and is provided with temperature control means. Burner encloses at least three coaxially arranged tubular electrodes and is disposed on the reaction chamber inlet. Apparatus is also provided with inlet connection pipes for additionally feeding raw material, additional plasma burners disposed along side wall of reaction chamber, and magnet disposed beyond the chamber next to electrodes. EFFECT: enhanced efficiency of process. 5 cl, 1 dwg