- Technology
Plasma Rotary Furnace
A proven technology, refined for modern needs. Our process uses high-efficiency plasma to drive precision thermochemical reactions at scale — enabling high-purity materials from tailored inputs, with minimal waste and unmatched control.
Mastering Thermochemical Manufacturing
High-temperature rotary furnaces have long been proven in metallurgy. When enhanced with plasma heating, they become powerful platforms for transforming engineered feedstocks into high-performance materials.
Refacture is building on this foundation by refining how materials are introduced, how reactions are sustained, and how outputs are recovered. In collaboration with partners such as SINTEF, we configure plasma rotary systems to sustain >1,700°C in controlled environments, enabling reactions previously unachievable in conventional thermal setups.
This process allows us to produce materials such as β-SiC and AlF₃ with high yield, minimal contamination, and process consistency—all critical for next-generation industrial applications.
Why Plasma + Rotary?
Conventional furnaces rely on combustion or resistive heating—methods that lack precision, speed, and scalability. Plasma, by contrast, offers extremely focused energy transfer and control over reaction conditions such as gas composition, pressure, and arc stability.
The rotating chamber design enables even material exposure and continuous flow, ensuring repeatability at scale. The result: thermochemical reactions that are faster, cleaner, and more controllable—ideal for the production of strategic compounds from engineered inputs or recovered byproducts.
The current development and material validation work are conducted using infrastructure and systems at SINTEF, with process integration, input optimization, and system refinement led by Refacture’s technical team.
High Thermal Efficiency
Plasma offers one of the highest thermal transfer efficiencies available in industrial systems—accurately delivering heat to reaction zones with minimal energy loss. Unlike combustion or resistive heating, there is no reliance on large thermal mass or indirect conduction. This reduces total energy demand and enables faster reaction kinetics. The result is lower operating cost per kilogram of product and increased throughput without sacrificing quality.
Continuous Operation
Unlike batch systems, rotary plasma furnaces support uninterrupted material flow—maintaining steady-state reaction conditions and eliminating thermal cycling losses. This improves uptime, reduces wear on equipment, and enables tighter control of throughput and product quality. Continuous operation also simplifies integration with upstream and downstream processing steps, making it ideal for modular deployment. It’s a key enabler for scalable, distributed manufacturing of strategic materials.
Cleaner Outputs
Our process is tuned to produce outputs with consistent particle size, morphology, and purity—essential traits for strategic materials. Reaction conditions are tailored to drive selective conversion and minimize unwanted phases. With virtually no uncontrolled combustion, outputs are cleaner, require less downstream processing, and meet exacting specifications. Cleaner reactions also mean fewer emissions and reduced slag.
Unlocking Rare Earth Recovery
Learn how Refacture’s advanced plasma technology efficiently recovers critical rare earth elements, securing supply chains for electric mobility, renewable energy, and cutting-edge electronics.