Ultra Rapid Microwave Sintering of ZnO

Gengfu Xu, Isabel Lloyd, Tayo Olorunyolemi, Yuval Carmel, and Otto Wilson, Jr.
Institute for Plasma Research
University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland 20742

102nd Annual Meeting and Exposition, The American Ceramic Society
St. Louis, MO, April 30-May 3, 2000

ABSTRACT. Control of microstructure development is of interest in many applications. The ability to avoid temperature regimes where undesirable microstructure characteristics develop via rapid heating allows tailoring microstructure. Microwave heating enables extremely rapid heating limiting grain growth and thermal gradients that induce cracking or microstructural heterogeneities. Results of studies with heating rates up to 4900oC/min show that full densification can be achieved with minimal grain growth.

This research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, Structural Ceramics Division.