Radiative effects in induction plasma modeling

Summary Form only given, as follows. While it is generally accepted that in small-scale discharges plasmas can be treated as optically thin, radiative energy loss from an induction plasma has been neglected in most one-dimensional theoretical analyses. The authors have shown (Plasma Chem. Plasma Process., vol.4, p.129, 1984) that 30-40% of the energy dissipated in the plasma can be lost as radiation. In the present study, a comparative analysis has been made between available literature data on volumetric emission of an argon plasma at atmospheric pressure and their effect on the computed temperature fields. The role of radiative energy transfer from the plasma has been found to be particularly important in the presence of small concentrations of metal vapors, which are known to increase the volumetric emission of the plasma considerably. Typical results are given showing the corresponding integral emissions from pure argon plasma and from an argon plasma in the presence of copper vapor resulting from the injection of 1 g/min of copper powder in the discharge.<>