TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process Details : The carbonaceous material is of fossil or renewable origin. liquid or gaseous, and may contain water or water vapour. The combustion-supporting gas contains molecular O2 , and may be air, O2-enriched air or O2 of technical quality , and may also contain water vapour. The refractory material contains dispersed nickel oxides obtained by impregnation with a concentrated nickel solution followed by calcination, ensuring intimate contact with the flow of reactants and products. The upper part of the post-plasma zone aquires a temperature of 600 - 1000degreesC as a result of the combustion in the plasma zone, and partial oxidation is initiated ; the mass ratio of combustion supporter to fuel may then be decreased to maintain the partial oxidation whilst maintaining the functioning of the Glidarc-1. To shut down the operation, the operations are total shut-off of fuel, immediately followed by cut-off of electrical supply to the plasma arc, then a high diminution in supply of combustion supporter. To place in a standby mode, the supply of fuel is reduced followed by shutdown of electrical supply then decrease of supply of combustion supporter. The optimum composition of the effluent gas form the installation ia assessed by observation of the diffusion flame by continuous sampling of part of the issuing gas.An almost invisible blue flame indicates an optmum mass ratio combustion supporter/fuel.An unstable or yellow flame results in deposition of soot on the refractory filling. EXAMPLE - (d) Conversion of a heavy naphtha : A reactor, as illustratd in figure 2, of 0.6 l total vol was used.This contained two electrodes, the power dissipated in the discharge being 50W.a single thermocouple was mounted near the exit of the the products, where temperatures of 780degreesC could be attained. The post-plasma zone was filled with 0.34 l of activated granules. The experimental liquid was an aviation fuel, JP8, which was a mixture of 7 - 12C saturated hydrocarbons and alicyclics with 25% of alkyl-aromatics.The realtive molecular wt. was 150 and approximate formula CH1.94. The boiling point was 130 - 220degreesC and density 780 kg/cm3. The naphtha flow rate studied was in the range 4.8 - 11 g/minute, without pre-heating, and air was supplied at 23 - 42 l/minute. From the results of several tests, the analysis of the reformate obtained was as follows(% vol) :- H2 : 15 - 21 ; CO : 17 - 22 ; H2 + CO : 32 - 42 ; N2 + Ar : 53 - 62 ; CO2 : 2.9 - 5.5 ; CH4 : 1.1 - 2.7 ; C2H4 : 0.1 - 0.9 ; C_H6, C2H2, O2, C3 and others : absent ; Total conversion of naphtha was obtained with no soot or tar formation.