• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 2012

Thermal plasma technology has been at the center of major developments over the past century. It has found numerous applications ranging from aerospace materials testing to nanopowder synthesis and processing. In the present review highlights of principal breakthroughs in this field are presented with emphasis on an analysis of the basic phenomena involved, and the potential of the technology for industrial scale applications.