Plasma Cutters: Facts You Need To Know
A plasma cutter is an object that can pass through even the ferrous of materials like metals and steel and that is because of the contribution of the unique properties of plasma.
Let us first define plasma before we continue discussing about plasma cutters and how it works. Plasma, defined by wikipedia, is one of the four fundamental states of matter (other being the solid, liquid and gas) and is also known as an ionized gas which consists of positive ions and free electrons in proportions that results in more or less no overall electric charge, typically at low pressures (can be observed in the upper atmosphere and with fluorescent lamps) or at very high temperatures (like the stars and nuclear fusion reactors). When we were young, we learned about the states of matter and we are taught that there are juts three of them namely: solid, liquid and gas but the truth is that there are actually four states of matter and the fourth one on the list of plasma. As what is being mentioned in the previous statement, a plasma define as an ionized gas in which sufficient energy is being provided to free electrons coming from atoms or molecules and also, it is the one that enables the coexistence of ions and electrons. You can actually get a plasma by boosting a gas to an extremely high temperature. By doing so, the energy will start to break apart the gas molecules and the atoms will begin to split as wel;. This process will also affect the electrons and ions as the fast moving electrons will collide with other electrons and ions causing it to release a tantamount of energy. The enormous amount of energy being released by the collision is the reason why plasma has an unbelievable cutting power.
The plasma cutter actually works by sending a pressurized gas through the small channel in the cutting nozzle. If you are to look closely at its center, there you can find an electrode that is negatively charged. Once you apply any power to the negatively charged electrode, and you touched the tip of the nozzle to a positively charged metal, what will happen is that a connection will be made and it creates a circuit and a very powerful spark as well. Plasma will be produced once the has that has been passing through the channel will be heated by the spark until it reach its fourth state form, so to speak. Did you know that the temperature of plasma can actually reach an amazing thirty thousand degree Fahrenheit and that once it reached that level, it became capable of cutting almost any material.
Aside from the ones being mentioned above, plasma cutter can also work by creating a high velocity plasma flow between the negatively charged electrode and the positively charged one.
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