Trends and opportunities in microwave processing

Summary form only given. Processing of materials in high power microwave field is unique in many ways. The process is fast, energy efficient and environment friendly. Wide variety of materials, such as, insulating ceramics, semiconductors, metals and metallic compounds have been microwave processed. In many situations, it offers choice to choose an appropriate processing route. Materials, for example, may be placed in E-field or in H-field (single mode processing); or alternatively these can be processed in mixed E-H field (multimode processing). New experimental observations on interaction of microwave magnetic field with matter are reported- thus the role of H-field vector in processing is being emphasised and redefined. A broad view of microwave processing with a variety of results will be presented.