Kværner process

The process was developed in the 1980s by the Norwegian engineering firm Kværner, and was first commercially exploited in 1999.

The endothermic reaction separates (i.e. decomposes) hydrocarbons into carbon and hydrogen in a plasma burner at around 1600 °C.

The resulting components, carbon particles and hydrogen, are present as a mixture in form of an aerosol.

The carbon is obtained as black powdery solid matter and forms a technical product which may be used e.g. as filler in the rubber industry, as pigment soot for inks and paints or as raw material for electrical components.

[citation needed][5] A variation of this process using plasma arc waste disposal was presented in 2009.

Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of carbon nanocones (maximum diameter ~1 μm) produced by pyrolysis of crude oil in the Kvaerner process. [ 2 ]