Analysis of Carbothermic MgO Reduction in the Radio Frequency Plasma Environment—Part 1: Particle Heating in Argon Plasma

This article is the first in a series of articles devoted to the reduction of magnesium oxide (MgO) to pure magnesium using carbon in a radio frequency (RF) plasma environment. The series primarily focuses on the selection and optimization of the plasma gas, which is critical to enhancing process efficiency. As an alternative approach, this work introduces the use of various hydrocarbon gases as sources of gaseous carbon. This article specifically analyzes the potential of plasma technology for the direct reduction of MgO to magnesium within an argon environment generated by an RF plasma torch. A 3-D mathematical model of the heating process for MgO and carbon particles within the mixing chamber of a plasma-chemical reactor is presented. The study includes calculations of the operating characteristics of the process, both with and without the injection of solid particles into the mixing chamber. The results obtained from these calculations provide valuable insights for the development of highly efficient systems for the thermal plasma processing of materials.