PEARL

Process Engineering
Advanced Research Lab

Electrification of materials processing via microwave irradiation: A review of mechanism and applications

April 19, 2021

News, Publications

Prof. chaouki and his group are working on microwave irradiation for more than 10 years. in this regard, they published more than 30 papers during these years. Recently, they published a review article on the title of " Electrification of materials processing via microwave irradiation: A review of mechanism and applications".

Electricity is a renewable and clean source of energy. Electrification of the industrial processes provides benefits in terms of environmental protection, enhanced productivity, and business growth. Such an approach prompted researchers to apply microwaves to develop more sustainable processes regarding unique characteristics of microwaves such as rapid heating, volumetric heating, and selective heating. However, the interaction between microwaves and materials must be well understood to design a large-scale microwave-assisted process. In the present study, the mechanism of microwave heating in some selected metals, metal oxides, and carbides are reviewed to prepare a comprehensive understanding of the material’s behavior during microwave irradiation. Furthermore, various applications of microwaves (lab scale and industrial scale) are reviewed to discuss the scale-up potentials of the microwave-assisted processes, challenges and future direction.