Development of compact process using microwave heating

Abstract

Conventionally the manufacturing of ceramic parts consists of various processes such as pulverization of raw materials, dispersion, mixing, drying, shape forming, removal of organic binder, sintering and machining. We proposed new manufacturing processes using microwave technique, a technique named "compact process," for the significant enhancement of manufacturing speed and ultimate improvement of productivity of ceramics fabrication, in which the complicated operations are reduced to simplified processes. In this report, the effects on the characteristics of sintered body and decreasing of energy consumption by compact process will be discussed.