Gyrotron-Based Microwave Sintering of Ceramics
Abstract
The development of powerful gyrotrons has opened up the millimeter-wave regime (>= 28 GHz) for processing ceramic materials. A number of studies of microwave sintering of ceramics have indicated that sintering proceeds much faster in microwave furnaces than in conventional furnaces, however, specific conclusions have been limited by the wide range of materials investigated and measurement difficulties. To assess the potential of high frequency microwave sintering, and to investigate the possibility of a specific microwave mechanism, the Naval Research Laboratory has recently undertaken a systematic study focused on the sintering of fine and ultra-fine grained alumina and titania compacts. This paper presents 35 GHz microwave sintering data obtained using a gyrotron-powered furnace and compares our data with results from other microwave and conventional sintering studies.
- Publication:
-
APS Division of Plasma Physics Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- November 1997
- Bibcode:
- 1997APS..DPPgTuM03F