Method of microwave processing ceramics and microwave hybrid heating system for same
First Claim
1. A method for sintering ceramic materials at a sintering temperature greater than room temperature using a microwave hybrid heating system, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing a ceramic member to be sintered, said ceramic member comprising a material that does not substantially reflect microwave energy and that does not substantially couple to microwave energy until said ceramic material is heated to a microwave coupling-trigger temperature;
(b) providing a microwave furnace having a magnetron microwave source and a microwave chamber lined with a reflective material;
(c) providing a thermal containment box having an inner surface and an outer surface defining a thermal containment chamber, said thermal containment box comprising an insulative material that does not substantially absorb or reflect microwave energy at any temperature less than or equal to a maximum sintering temperature of said ceramic member to be sintered and which has a melting temperature that is greater than said maximum sintering temperature of said ceramic member to be sintered;
(d) providing at least one susceptor within said thermal containment chamber, said at least one susceptor comprising a material that directly couples to microwave energy at room temperature substantially immediately;
(e) positioning said ceramic member within said thermal containment chamber proximate said at least one susceptor;
(f) irradiating said microwave chamber with microwave energy from said magnetron source, whereby said at least one susceptor substantially immediately couples to the microwave energy and the heat from said at least one susceptor radiates therefrom to heat said thermal containment chamber and said ceramic member positioned therewithin such that the temperature of said ceramic member increases to said microwave coupling-trigger temperature, at which time said ceramic member couples directly to the microwave energy; and
(g) sintering said ceramic member with the microwave energy in cooperation with the radiant energy from said at least one susceptor.
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Abstract
A method for sintering ceramic materials using a microwave hybrid heating system includes the steps of providing a ceramic member to be sintered, providing a microwave furnace, providing a thermal containment box comprising a material that is virtually transparent to microwave energy, providing at least one susceptor comprising a material that directly couples to microwave energy at room temperature substantially immediately within the thermal containment box, positioning the ceramic member within the thermal containment chamber proximate the susceptor, and irradiating the thermal containment box with microwave energy. The susceptor couples to the microwave energy and generates heat within the thermal containment box and the temperature of the ceramic member increases to the microwave coupling-trigger temperature, at which time the ceramic member couples directly to the microwave energy and is directly sintered by the microwave energy in cooperation with radiant energy from the one susceptor.
74 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for sintering ceramic materials at a sintering temperature greater than room temperature using a microwave hybrid heating system, said method comprising the steps of:
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(a) providing a ceramic member to be sintered, said ceramic member comprising a material that does not substantially reflect microwave energy and that does not substantially couple to microwave energy until said ceramic material is heated to a microwave coupling-trigger temperature;
(b) providing a microwave furnace having a magnetron microwave source and a microwave chamber lined with a reflective material;
(c) providing a thermal containment box having an inner surface and an outer surface defining a thermal containment chamber, said thermal containment box comprising an insulative material that does not substantially absorb or reflect microwave energy at any temperature less than or equal to a maximum sintering temperature of said ceramic member to be sintered and which has a melting temperature that is greater than said maximum sintering temperature of said ceramic member to be sintered;
(d) providing at least one susceptor within said thermal containment chamber, said at least one susceptor comprising a material that directly couples to microwave energy at room temperature substantially immediately;
(e) positioning said ceramic member within said thermal containment chamber proximate said at least one susceptor;
(f) irradiating said microwave chamber with microwave energy from said magnetron source, whereby said at least one susceptor substantially immediately couples to the microwave energy and the heat from said at least one susceptor radiates therefrom to heat said thermal containment chamber and said ceramic member positioned therewithin such that the temperature of said ceramic member increases to said microwave coupling-trigger temperature, at which time said ceramic member couples directly to the microwave energy; and
(g) sintering said ceramic member with the microwave energy in cooperation with the radiant energy from said at least one susceptor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A microwave hybrid heating system for sintering at least one ceramic member having a microwave coupling-trigger temperature greater than room temperature, said microwave hybrid heating system comprising:
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a microwave furnace having a magnetron microwave source and a microwave chamber lined with a reflective material;
a thermal containment box having an inner surface and an outer surface defining a thermal containment chamber, said thermal containment box comprising an insulative material that does not substantially absorb or reflect microwave energy at any temperature less than a maximum sintering temperature of said at least one ceramic member to be sintered and which has a melting temperature greater than said maximum sintering temperature of said at least one ceramic member to be sintered; and
at least one susceptor provided within said thermal containment chamber, said at least one susceptor comprising a material that directly couples to microwave energy at room temperature substantially immediately;
wherein said at least one ceramic member to be sintered is positioned within said thermal containment chamber such that when microwave energy from said magnetron source irradiates said thermal containment box, said at least one susceptor substantially immediately couples to the microwave energy, heat generated from said at least one susceptor radiates therefrom to heat said thermal containment chamber and said at least one ceramic member positioned therein such that the temperature of said at least one ceramic member increases to said microwave coupling-trigger temperature, at which time said at least one ceramic member couples directly to the microwave energy and is sintered by the microwave energy in cooperation with the radiant heat emitted from said at least one susceptor. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification