Method for heat treating and sintering metal oxides with microwave radiation

Patent · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

OSTI ID:867175

Holcombe, Cressie E ^[1]; Dykes, Norman L ^[2]; Meek, Thomas T ^[3]

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1. Farragut, TN
2. Oak Ridge, TN
3. Knoxville, TN

A method for microwave sintering materials, primarily metal oxides, is described. Metal oxides do not normally absorb microwave radiation at temperatures ranging from about room temperature to several hundred degrees centrigrade are sintered with microwave radiation without the use of the heretofore required sintering aids. This sintering is achieved by enclosing a compact of the oxide material in a housing or capsule formed of a oxide which has microwave coupling properties at room temprature up to at least the microwave coupling temperature of the oxide material forming the compact. The heating of the housing effects the initial heating of the oxide material forming the compact by heat transference and then functions as a thermal insulator for the encased oxide material after the oxide material reaches a sufficient temperature to adequately absorb or couple with microwave radiation for heating thereof to sintering temperature.

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-840R21400
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4880578
• OSTI ID: 867175
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

method
heat
treating
sintering
metal
oxides
microwave
radiation
materials
primarily
described
normally
absorb
temperatures
ranging
temperature
hundred
degrees
centrigrade
sintered
heretofore
required
aids
achieved
enclosing
compact
oxide
material
housing
capsule
formed
coupling
properties
temprature
forming
heating
effects
initial
transference
functions
thermal
insulator
encased
reaches
sufficient
adequately
couple
microwave sintering
microwave radiation
metal oxide
heat transfer
metal oxides
oxide material
heat treating
temperatures ranging
thermal insulator
material forming
sintering aids
sintering temperature
microwave coupling
wave coupling
sufficient temperature
sintering materials
initial heating
heretofore required
hundred degrees
degrees centrigrade
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