Review: The Use of Microwave Irradiation in the Processing of Glasses and Their Composites

The use of microwave (MW) radiation in glass processing is reviewed and compared to the usual processing techniques, such as glass melting, sintering, sealing, devitrification, coating, reinforcement with various substances, deposition by layers, etc. MW heating is known as a much-faster process (requiring minutes rather than hours), yielding good product quality, in comparison with the prolonged conventional thermal treatment of glass precursors.