Microwave Technique: A Powerful Tool for Sintering Ceramic Materials

[EN] Microwave sintering has emerged in recent years as a promising technology for faster, cheaper and eco-friendlier processing \nof a wide variety of materials, which are regarded as significant advantages against conventional sintering procedures. The present investigation \ndescribes a technique for sintering two different ceramic materials by microwave heating: alumina-15vol.% zirconia and hydroxyapatite \nnanopowders. The results show that microwave sintering achieves higher density values, excellent mechanical properties \nand a homogeneous microstructure at lower sintering temperatures. The densities of microwave processed samples were close to the \ntheoretical densities, and the near-net-shape of the green body was preserved without significant dimensional changes. The main advantages \nof microwave heating can be summarized as follows: a more flexible process, reduced processing times and production costs, and \nenvironmental benefits. Thus, microwaves are a clear alternative to conventional heating methods, using up to 70% less energy throughout \nthe whole sintering process