Melting and heat treating metals using microwave heating

Microwave metal processing techniques were developed and applied to a wide variety of metals and alloys at the Oak Ridge Y-12 National Security Complex (NSC). Three basic elements required to heat and melt bulk metals using microwaves are a multimode microwave cavity, a microwave-absorbing ceramic crucible and a thermally insulating casket that is microwave-transparent. Three distinct methods used to heat treat metals using a microwave furnace are molten salt-bath processing, granular suscepting media and fluidized bed processing. The results show that microwaves can be used to successfully heat treat metal components without any negative effects on the metal.