Microwave enhanced drying and firing of geopolymers

Tyler A. Gubb, Inessa Baranova, Shawn M. Allan, Morgana L. Fall, Holly S. Shulman, Waltraud M. Kriven

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The feasibility of using microwave energy to dry and fire pre-cured geopolymers was experimentally demonstrated, and supported by analysis of published microwave dielectric data for geopolymers. Dielectric loss tangents and half power microwave absorption depths were calculated from published room temperature dielectric constant and loss values of various geopolymer compositions. The published data indicated that geopolymers would heat at room temperature with microwave energy. Several laboratory experiments were performed to test the heating behavior of sodium and potassium based geopolymer compositions. Experiments demonstrated more vigorous microwave heating with sodium geopolymers than with potassium geopolymers. Both compositions were dried in less than 10 minutes with pure microwave heating. Further heating with pure microwave energy resulted in non-uniform, rapid heating, or "thermal runaway", with localized melting of the geopolymer. Hybrid microwave heating with susceptors resulted in uniformly fired geopolymers, without melting.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationDevelopments in Strategic Materials and Computational Design II - A Collection of Papers Presented at the 35th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, ICACC
PublisherAmerican Ceramic Society
Pages35-43
Number of pages9
Edition10
ISBN (Print)9781118059951
DOIs
StatePublished - 2011
EventDevelopments in Strategic Materials and Computational Design II - 35th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, ICACC - Daytona Beach, FL, United States
Duration: Jan 23 2011Jan 28 2011

Publication series

NameCeramic Engineering and Science Proceedings
Number10
Volume32
ISSN (Print)0196-6219

Other

OtherDevelopments in Strategic Materials and Computational Design II - 35th International Conference on Advanced Ceramics and Composites, ICACC
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityDaytona Beach, FL
Period1/23/111/28/11

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • Materials Chemistry

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Microwave enhanced drying and firing of geopolymers'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this