Thermal plasma characteristics of a transferred plasma torch are numerically and experimentally investigated to find the appropriate conditions of operating variables and electrode arrangements of the torch for vitrification treatment of hazardous wastes. The temperature distributions of argon plasma are calculated in different torch operating conditions and electrode arrangements. A transferred plasma torch designed and fabricated has been experimented with six different electrode arrangements. The dynamic and static behaviors of arc voltage are measured to find stable arc conditions. For predicting the heat transfer rate to the treated waste material from an arc column, calorimetric measurements are made for the heat losses and input power fractions transferred to the anode material. Furthermore, thermal plasma temperatures are measured by the optical emission spectroscopy. Lastly, a melting system of surrogate wastes is built by using the fabricated transferred plasma torch for an experimental test of vitrification treatments of the surrogates.