Material processing in electric and magnetic fields at microwave frequencies in a single mode cavity

Summary form only given. In this presentation we report the effect of electric and magnetic fields at 2.45 GHz frequency on the heating behavior of variety of materials. The survey of variety of samples of metals, ceramics, composites and magnetic materials showed remarkable differences in their heating behaviors and microstructural developments. It was observed that ferrites, dielectric insulators such as BaTiO/sub 3/ or TiO/sub 2/, could be rendered non-crystalline (amorphous) in 5-30 seconds, without even melting, when processed in 2.45 GHz single mode cavity, at the magnetic node alone. The magnetic properties of these commercial materials can be controlled by exposure to these fields. Even Silicon metal also showed decrystallization but in E-field. The results establish conclusively that the magnetic field interaction causes variety of losses and dominates the heating of almost all materials and often produces unexpected results.