Once inside the conversion chamber, the trash is blasted by a jet of plasma, causing the molecular bonds within the material to deteriorate. As the complex molecules within the matter are broken down into basic elements, they separate. Heavy elements sink to the bottom of the vessel as a molten slag and lighter elements rise to the top as a super-heated gas. Sometimes the gases and slag are fed into a secondary plasma conversion chamber to ensure maximum molecular disassociation.

After this step, the slag may be cooled in a variety of ways to produce different materials. The gases, on the other hand, still require further processing. The types of processing varies from method to method, but the general goal is purification. Excess heat is extracted from the gases to produce steam and electricity. Afterward, particulates and impurities are scrubbed from the gas, yielding a fuel known as syngas. The syngas is either burned on site to provide electricity and heat, or may bottled and reused as one of the recycled commodities. ( http://www.pyrogenesis.com/site-en.html )

Below is a graphical flow chart that depicts the steps taken to convert refuse to energy and recycled products.