- The microwave furnace principle is based on dielectric heating. A microwave furnace uses magnetrons to emit electromagnetic waves to the furnace chamber at a frequency of 2.45 Gigahertz. The microwaves penetrate the dielectric materials in the chamber and excite the polar molecules to oscillate rapidly, producing heat through friction. This heating method is known as volumetric heating because it heats the entire part of the piece rather than just being in contact with the heating element. Hence, the speed of heating, the energy efficiency of heating, and the ability to achieve uniform temperature distribution throughout the sample are much higher than with a conventional heating method and there is no need for the piece being heated to be in contact with the heating element. High Temperature vacuum furnace is used for sintering of the silicon nitride material.
- The sintering of Silicon Nitride ceramics will be done in Nitrogen Atmosphere at high temperature.
- The maximum temperature of the furnace is 1700 deg C.
- The furnace consists of inner vacuum chamber. The chamber has high temperature ceramic fiber boards insulation.
- MoSi2 heaters are used to achieve the desired temperature.
- The system also has vacuum system to achieve the vacuum of 10-3 mbar inside the chamber.
- The vacuum system will consist of Mechanical rotary pump and backing roots pump of leybold make.
- There is also two stage gas manifold system to purge the nitrogen gas inside the furnace during the sintering process.
- The furnace will be vacuum in dry cold conditions with vacuum range 10-3 mbar using vacuum system, after that Nitrogen will be purge inside the chamber with controlled flow rate using rotameter and sintering process of silicon Nitride starts.
- The sintering process temperature will be approx 1650 Deg C.
- Programmable PID temperature controller will be used to get the desired temperature cycle.
