The role of plasma in microwave systems for materials processing

Summary form only given, as follows. Since 1990 processing of materials using microwave heating is under development, with only few industrial applications till today in the high temperature range, e.g., with process temperatures T>1000/spl deg/C. Among the most promising technologies sintering of PM-products (cemented carbides, ceramic, metals) and melting of glass using microwaves of 2.45 GHz frequency should be mentioned. The peculiarities for industrial use of microwave materials processing technology are mainly of economical origin but there are also some basic technological problems, which need to be solved in order to promote microwave heating as a widely used materials processing technology.