Plasma cutting is a thermal cutting process that uses an accelerated jet of hot plasma to cut through electrically conductive materials. Plasma is created when gas (such as compressed air, oxygen, or nitrogen) is ionized and heated to extremely high temperatures, enabling it to conduct electricity. This ionized gas is expelled at high velocity through a nozzle, where an electric arc melts the material, and the jet of plasma blows away the molten metal, leaving a clean cut.