Referring to FIG. 10, there is provided an exemplary embodiment of the torch housing 110 and torch chamber 120 of the microwave plasma torch 100 disclosed herein. In this embodiment, the microwave generator 160 is a magnetron 162, and the magnetron 162 and waveguide housing 130 connected between the magnetron 162 and the torch housing 110 are both contained within an apparatus housing 1010. An aperture (not shown) is provided in the top of the apparatus housing 1010, and the torch housing 110 is mounted within the aperture and extends out the aperture to define the upper housing section 116.

In this exemplary embodiment, the upper housing section 116 includes a cylindrical outer housing body 1020, a length of a hollow dielectric tube 1030 that is concentrically mounted within cylindrical outer housing body 1020, and a frit 1040 that is mounted above the hollow dielectric tube 1030 and expands across a hollow interior of the cylindrical outer housing body 1020. The upper housing section 116 is positioned relative to the rest of the torch housing 110 such that the tip 142 of the at least one conductive rod 140 is disposed within the hollow dielectric tube 1030, where the plurality of plasma streamers 180 are generated between the tip 142 of the at least one conductive rod 140 such that the flow of plasma is produced within and expelled from an open end of the hollow dielectric tube 530.