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Journal ArticleDOI

Experimental and theoretical investigation on microwave melting of metals

TL;DR: Experiments were conducted for microwave heating and melting of lead, tin, aluminium and copper with the aid of susceptors and detailed results were presented for various microwave power levels and sample loading.
About: This article is published in Journal of Materials Processing Technology.The article was published on 2011-03-01. It has received 120 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Dielectric heating & Aluminium.
Citations
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, most of the significant phenomena that cause heating during microwave-material interaction and heat transfer during microwave energy absorption in materials are discussed. But, the mechanisms associated with the processing are less understood; popular mechanisms such as dipolar heating and conduction heating have been mostly explored.
Abstract: Efforts to use microwaves in material processing are gradually increasing. However, the phenomena associated with the processing are less understood; popular mechanisms such as dipolar heating and conduction heating have been mostly explored. The current paper reviews most of the significant phenomena that cause heating during microwave–material interaction and heat transfer during microwave energy absorption in materials. Mechanisms involved during interaction of microwave with characteristically different materials – metals, non-metals and composites (metal matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites and polymer matrix composites) have been discussed using suitable illustrations. It was observed that while microwave heating of metal based materials is due to the magnetic field based loss effects, dipolar loss and conduction loss are the phenomena associated with the electric field effects in microwave heating of non-metals. Challenges in processing of advanced materials, particularly composites have been identified from the available literature; further research directions with possible benefits have been highlighted.

502 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The special interaction mechanisms between microwave and metal-based materials are attracting increasing interest for a variety of metallurgical, plasma and discharge applications, and therefore are reviewed particularly regarding the aspects of the reflection, heating and discharge effects.
Abstract: Microwave heating is rapidly emerging as an effective and efficient tool in various technological and scientific fields. A comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of microwave-matter interactions is the precondition for better utilization of microwave technology. However, microwave heating is usually only known as dielectric heating, and the contribution of the magnetic field component of microwaves is often ignored, which, in fact, contributes greatly to microwave heating of some aqueous electrolyte solutions, magnetic dielectric materials and certain conductive powder materials, etc. This paper focuses on this point and presents a careful review of microwave heating mechanisms in a comprehensive manner. Moreover, in addition to the acknowledged conventional microwave heating mechanisms, the special interaction mechanisms between microwave and metal-based materials are attracting increasing interest for a variety of metallurgical, plasma and discharge applications, and therefore are reviewed particularly regarding the aspects of the reflection, heating and discharge effects. Finally, several distinct strategies to improve microwave energy utilization efficiencies are proposed and discussed with the aim of tackling the energy-efficiency-related issues arising from the application of microwave heating. This work can present a strategic guideline for the developed understanding and utilization of the microwave heating technology.

393 citations


Cites methods from "Experimental and theoretical invest..."

  • ...[85] conducted microwave heating and melting of lead, tin, aluminium and copper with the aid of susceptor and compared the melting characteristics of metals using the microwave of 1300W capacity and a muffle furnace (conventional) of 2500 W capacity....

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  • ...[85] conducted microwave heating and melting of lead, tin, aluminium and copper with the aid of susceptor and compared the melting characteristics of metals using the Figure 2....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the main focused aim of developing new processing and manufacturing technologies are to reduce production or manufacturing costs, processing times, and to enhance manufactured product properties, and the developed processing techniques should be widely acceptable for all types of materials including metal matrix composites, ceramics, alloys, and fiber reinforced plastics.
Abstract: The main focused aim of developing new processing and manufacturing technologies are to reduce production or manufacturing costs, processing times, and to enhance manufactured product properties. The developed processing techniques should be widely acceptable for all types of materials including metal matrix composites, ceramics, alloys, and fiber reinforced plastics. Microwave materials processing is emerging as a novel processing technology which is applicable to a wide variety of materials system including processing of MMC, FRP, alloys, ceramics, metals, powder metallurgy, material joining, coatings, and claddings. In comparison to the conventional processes, microwave processing of materials offers better mechanical properties with reduced defects and economical advantages in terms of power and time savings. The present review work focuses mainly on global developments taking place in the field of microwave processing of materials and their relevant industrial applications.

278 citations


Cites background from "Experimental and theoretical invest..."

  • ...—Melting of 100 g of (a) lead, (b) tin, (c) aluminum, and (d) copper metals at various levels of microwave power [119]....

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  • ...—Comparison of conventional melting time of aluminium metal with microwave melting time [119]....

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Journal ArticleDOI
15 Feb 2016-Energy
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the susceptor assisted microwave processing is presented, which brings together various case studies so that the readers can have a clear idea about the current status in each field of applications.

271 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a review on microwave heating and their interaction with materials for various applications in a comprehensive manner has been presented and some of the unresolved problems are identified and directions for further research are also suggested.
Abstract: Microwave heating is caused by the ability of the materials to absorb microwave energy and convert it to heat. This article represents a review on fundamentals of microwave heating and their interaction with materials for various applications in a comprehensive manner. Experimental studies of single, multimode, and variable frequency microwave processing were reviewed along with their applications. Modeling of microwave heating based on Lambert's law and Maxwell's electromagnetic field equations have also been reviewed along with their applications. Modeling approaches were used to predict the effect of resonances on microwave power absorption, the role of supports for microwave heating, and to determine the nonuniformity on heating rates. Various industrial applications on thermal processing have been reviewed. There is tremendous scope for theoretical and experimental studies on the athermal effects of microwaves. Some of the unresolved problems are identified and directions for further research are also suggested. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012

253 citations

References
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Book
30 Jun 1988
TL;DR: A broad coverage of the theory and practice of industrial microwave heating can be found in this paper, where the authors present a broad survey of the literature on microwave heating and its applications.
Abstract: This book offers a broad coverage of the theory and practice of industrial microwave heating.

1,502 citations


"Experimental and theoretical invest..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Skin depth is a measure of depth of microwave penetration in which the field is attenuated by 1/e of its value at the surface (Metaxas and Meredith, 1983)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a review of microwave heating applications in environmental engineering is presented, which identifies the areas of potential commercial development as contaminated soil vitrification, volatile organic compounds (VOC) treatment and recovery, waste sludge processing, mineral ore grinding and carbon in pulp gold recovery.
Abstract: This paper presents a review of microwave heating applications in environmental engineering A number of areas are assessed, including contaminated soil remediation, waste processing, minerals processing and activated carbon regeneration Conclusions are presented, which identify the areas of potential commercial development as contaminated soil vitrification, volatile organic compounds (VOC) treatment and recovery, waste sludge processing, mineral ore grinding and carbon in pulp gold recovery Reasons are detailed why other areas have not seen investment into and implementation of microwave heating technology These include difficulties associated with the scaling up of laboratory units to industrial capacities and a lack of fundamental data on material dielectric properties This has meant that commercialisation of microwave heating processes for environmental engineering applications has so far been slow In fact, commercialisation is only deemed viable when microwave heating offers additional process-specific advantages over conventional methods of heating

847 citations


"Experimental and theoretical invest..." refers background in this paper

  • ...Microwave heating receives considerable attention due to its major advantages such as high heating rates, reduced processing time, low power consumption and less environmental hazards (Jones et al., 2002)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
T. J. Appleton1, R.I. Colder1, Sam Kingman1, Ian Lowndes1, A.G. Read1 
TL;DR: In this article, the potential use of microwave technology as an energy-efficient alternative to current heating technologies employed in the processing and treatment of waste is discussed, where the process applications considered are the treatment and control of specific and often problematic waste-streams, including scrap tyres and plastics, and the remediation of contaminated land and groundwater.

262 citations


"Experimental and theoretical invest..." refers background or methods in this paper

  • ..., 2007), curing of polymers in order to improve their strength (Yarlagadda and Hsu, 2004) and treatment of wastes which were more energy efficient than conventional methods (Appleton et al., 2005)....

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  • ...…et al., 2007), processing of high melting temperature glasses at high heating rates (Almeida et al., 2007), curing of polymers in order to improve their strength (Yarlagadda and Hsu, 2004) and treatment of wastes which were more energy efficient than conventional methods (Appleton et al., 2005)....

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Book
02 Nov 2007
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors proposed a model for microwave heating of metal-based composite materials based on the physics of microwave heating. But the model is not suitable for the application of medical applications.
Abstract: Preface. Acknowledgments. 1. Introduction to Microwaves. 1.1 Microwaves and Electromagnetic Radiation. 1.2 Development of Microwaves. 1.3 Applications of Microwaves. 1.3.1 Microwave Heating/Processing of Materials. 1.3.2 Communications. 1.3.3 Radio Detection and Ranging (Radar). 1.3.4 Electronic Warfare. 1.3.5 Medical Applications. 1.3.6 Scientific Applications. 1.3.7 Industrial and Commercial Applications. 1.3.8 Potential Applications. 1.4 Frequency Allocation. 1.5 Microwave Generators. 1.6 Summary. References. 2. Microwaves - Theory. 2.1 Introduction. 2.2 Fundamentals. 2.2.1 Maxwell's Equations. 2.2.2 Permittivity. 2.2.3 Permeability. 2.2.4 Power Dissipated. 2.2.5 Penetration Depth. 2.2.6 Rate of Increase in Temperature. 2.3 Microwave-Material Interactions. 2.3.1 Electronic Polarization. 2.3.2 Orientation or Dipolar Polarization. 2.3.3 Ionic or Atomic Polarization. 2.3.4 Interfacial (Maxwell-Wagner) Polarization. 2.3.5 Frequency Dependence of Polarization Mechanisms. 2.3.6 Conduction Losses. 2.3.7 Hysteresis Losses. 2.4 Summary. References. 3. Microwave Heating. 3.1 Development of Microwave Heating. 3.2 Characteristics of Microwave Heating. 3.2.1 Penetrating Radiation. 3.2.2 Rapid Heating. 3.2.3 Controllable Field Distributions. 3.2.4 Selective Heating of Materials. 3.2.5 Self-limiting Characteristic. 3.2.6 Microwave Effects. 3.3 Types of Microwave Heating. 3.4 Future Developments. 3.5 Summary. References. 4. Microwave Heating of Metal-Based Materials. 4.1 Microwaves and Metals. 4.2 Observations and Theories-Mechanisms Proposed for Microwave Heating of Metals. 4.2.1 Size and Morphology of Starting Materials. 4.2.2 Effect of Separate Electric and Magnetic Fields. 4.2.3 Sintering Behavior and Mechanisms. 4.2.4 Proposed Microwave Sintering Model by Luo et al. 4.2.5 Proposed Microwave Sintering Model by Rybakov et al. 4.2.6 Model for Microwave Heating of Metal Compacts. 4.3 Microwave Sintering of Metals. 4.3.1 Cermets. 4.3.2 Ferrous Alloys. 4.3.3 Copper Alloys. 4.3.4 Aluminum and Composites. 4.3.5 Magnesium and Composites. 4.3.5.1 Microwave Sintering of Magnesium Composites. 4.3.5.2 Effect of Microwave Heating Rate on Properties of Pure Magnesium. 4.3.6 Tungsten Alloys. 4.3.6.1 Effect of Particle Size Distribution and Phases on Densification. 4.3.6.2 Effect of Sintering Atmosphere on Densification. 4.3.6.3 Effect of Aspect Ratio of Samples on Densification. 4.3.6.4 Comparison of Sintering Methods on Densification. 4.3.6.5 Microwave Sintering of Nanocrystalline Tungsten Powders. 4.3.7 Tin-Based Alloys (Electronic Solders). 4.3.8 Hybrid Composites. 4.3.9 Layered Composites. 4.4 Other Applications for Microwave Processing of Metals. 4.4.1 Microwave Melting. 4.4.2 Microwave Steel-making. 4.4.3 Heat Treatment and Annealing. 4.4.4 Diffusion Coating. 4.4.4.1 Microwaves and Aluminization. 4.4.4.2 Microwaves and Chromization. 4.4.4.3 Microwaves and Boronization. 4.4.5 Surface Treatment. 4.4.6 Microwave Brazing and Bonding. 4.4.7 Microwave Plasma Processing of Metals. 4.4.8 Other Applications. 4.5 Summary. References. 5. Microwave Heating of Other Materials. 5.1 Introduction. 5.2 Food Processing. 5.3 Ceramics Processing. 5.4 Polymer Processing. 5.5 Chemical and Pharmaceutical Processing. 5.6 Waste Remediation and Recycling. 5.7 Minerals Processing. 5.8 Biomedical Applications. 5.9 Other Applications. 5.10 Summary. References. Appendix A: Experimental Techniques in Microwave Processing. A.1 Microwave Sintering of Cermets. A.2 Microwave Sintering of Ferrous Alloys (1). A.3 Microwave Sintering of Ferrous Alloys (2). A.4 Microwave Sintering of Copper (1). A.5 Microwave Sintering of Copper (2). A.6 Microwave Sintering of Copper Alloys. A.7 Microwave Sintering of Aluminum and Composites. A.8 Microwave Sintering of Aluminum, Magnesium, Electronic Solders and Composites. A.9 Microwave Sintering of Tungsten Alloys. A.10 Microwave Heating in Separate E and H Fields. Appendix B: List of Suppliers of Microwave Processing Equipment. B.1 Types of Microwave Furnaces Available. B.2 Manufacturers of Microwave Components and Thermal Insulation Materials. B.3 Microwave Plasma Equipment. B.4 Microwave Melting. Appendix C: List of Research Groups in Metal-Based Microwave Processing. C.1 Education and Research Institutes. Index.

223 citations


"Experimental and theoretical invest..." refers background in this paper

  • ...4 metals are known to reflect microwaves, as their skin depth is of the order of few microns (Gupta and Wong, 2007)....

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  • ...Microwaves cause sparking of metallic materials and most metals are known to reflect microwaves, as their skin depth is of the order of few microns (Gupta and Wong, 2007)....

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Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1994

211 citations