Microwave-assisted firing of ceramics

Microwave-assisted firing is concerned with combining microwave energy, together with more conventional energy sources, for example, radiant gas or electric heating, in order to process ceramic materials and components to the high temperatures required for calcination and sintering. Microwave-assisted firing offers significant economic benefits in the manufacture of high temperature ceramic powders and components. The development of microwave-assisted firing has achieved the goal of temperature control throughout the firing cycle, which, combined with reduced energy costs and significantly increased throughput, results in microwave-assisted firing being an economically attractive process. The paper briefly describes the process and concentrates on results from the trials which have been undertaken in the last 3 years, including those on the recently commissioned 15 metre tunnel kiln, which capable of producing 15 tonnes of product per day. The trials have covered the entire range of ceramic products, including heavy clay, tableware, sanitaryware, refractories, industrial ceramics and powder calcination. The paper ends with an outline of the author's evolving technology transfer programme.