TLM simulation of microwave hybrid sintering of multiple samples in a multimode cavity

Microwave heating technology is a powerful mean to ensure successful sintering of ceramic materials. In sintering experiments, low loss insulators, conductors and high-loss ceramics are microwaved so as to get optimal mechanical and structural properties. It is known that low-loss ceramic materials such alumina and zirconia exhibit long waiting time before reaching a critical coupling temperature at which microwaves can be readily absorbed. On the other hand, some ceramics such as silicon carbid have a high loss factor and therefore can be used as a process stimulus for microwave sintering of microwave transparent ceramics. Furthermore, successful sintering experiments often require the use of carefully designed insulating structure in order to minimize thermal gradients caused by heat loss from surfaces. All these problems have led to the introduction of microwave hybrid heating (MHH) schemes using higher dielectric loss susceptors, insulation or coating. Since MHH depend mainly on human expertise, the optimization of sintering experiments will certainly benefit from numerical simulations. The transmission line matrix (TLM) is used to study two MHH schemes where both a susceptor and an insulating matrix were, respectively, used as process stimulus for microwave heating of multiple alumina samples within a three-dimensional multimode cavity. The effects of such MHH schemes and target settings on electric field distribution and power absorption rates are reported in this paper. Copyright (C) 2003 John Wiley Sons, Ltd.