TLM simulation of microwave sintering of ceramics using SiC stimulus.

Microwave heating technology is becoming a successful technique used for sintering ceramic materials. However, various aspects of sintering experiments, such as the use of process stimulus and the preparation of sample arrangements, depend mainly on human expertise. The Transmission Line Matrix (TLM) method is first used to solve the combined electromagnetic and thermal equations modeling microwave heating of dielectric materials. It is then used to simulate microwave sintering of a low-loss ceramic material in a multimode microwave cavity. To enhance the microwave sintering process, Silicon Carbid (SiC) was first used as a susceptor and in a picket fence arrangement. As multiple samples may be processed in a microwave oven, the TLM was used to model such a process, and the introduction of SiC as a stimulus was also examined. Results show the importance of the stimulus thickness and configuration on the uniformity and density of the electromagnetic field distribution and, therefore, on the power dissipation within the ceramic load.