Effects of pore size and heating method on drying porous fused silica

Abstract

This chapter describes the effects of pore size and heating method on drying porous fused silica. The drying process is one of the most vital steps in the manufacturing of ceramics. The presence of different pore sizes affect the rate of drying in conventional convective heating and if not properly controlled can result in cracking. Experimentally it has been found that microwave heating can result in faster drying times for ceramics. Although the mechanisms of drying are the same, the duration of the drying stages differs. This research compares microwave and conventional drying of silica filters with differing pore sizes and proposes a model to explain the more rapid drying observed with the use of microwave energy.