Patent ID: 7252744

Claim:
A method of treating a solid particulate fluoropolymer, which method includes generating, in a high temperature zone, an electrical arc between at least one cathode and at least one anode; generating in the high temperature zone and by means of the electrical arc and a plasma gas, an upwardly burning thermal plasma having an expanded tail flame; introducing a solid particulate fluoropolymer having particles in a size range of 1 mm to about 20 mm into the expanded tail flame for forming a reactive thermal mixture with the expanded tail flame and in which the particles are confined within the tail flame so that they swirl around continuously in the tail flame, disassociating the fluoropolymer into at least one fluorocarbon precursor or reactive species; and quenching a gas phase comprising the fluorocarbon precursor or reactive species to form at least one monomeric fluorocarbon compound.