Research & Development for the Sintering of Ceramics by Microwaves

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National Institute for Fusion Science and Gifu Prefectural Institute of Ceramics has been successful in bridging the science and technology by developing an idea of self-consistent isothermal barrier. It has certain dielectric constant and loss-tangent to be heated by microwave at 2.45GHz in keeping the equal temperatures and equal rising rates with the work pieces. The energy flow by radiation/convection balances between the work pieces and the inner most wall of the kiln. The thermal energy flux balances on the surface of work pieces, i.e. zero in total. Under such an ideal thermal insulation, work pieces get energy only by electric field of microwave and heat themselves uniformly. The stress free system realizes the rapid sintering.Through the development of the microwave kilns, energy consumptions were measured. Roughly speaking, it is the rapidity of microwave heating that saves the energy. It inhibits the grain growth and numbers and size of pores. We designed and manufactured more than ten microwave kilns for industries in 2001, including pure microwave roller hearth.