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US 2023/0319956 A1Published application
Apparatus And Methods For Non-Resonant Microwave Thermal Processing
AssigneeMetallum3D Inc.
InventorNelson Zambrana
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Microwave apparatus and methods provide for non-resonant microwave thermal processing that utilize non-resonant, cross polarized, slotted waveguide arrays in conjunction with a granular susceptor material to homogenously distribute microwave energy inside a microwave cavity, resulting in highly uniform temperature distributions and part heating profiles during processing.
Claims20
A microwave apparatus for thermally processing particles, the microwave apparatus comprising:
- a metallic housing;
- a first microwave energy source positioned to direct first microwave radiation into a first slotted waveguide, the first slotted waveguide comprising a first major waveguide axis and a plurality of longitudinal slots that emit a first modified microwave radiation, wherein the plurality of longitudinal slots have a length that is parallel to the first major waveguide axis;
- and
- a second microwave energy source positioned to direct second microwave radiation into a second slotted waveguide, the second slotted waveguide comprising a second major waveguide axis and a plurality of transverse slots that emit a second modified microwave radiation, wherein the plurality of transverse slots have a length that is perpendicular to the second major waveguide axis.
1 more element
A process for thermally processing a particulate material to form a processed part, the process comprising:
- creating a preliminary version of a part, the preliminary version of the part comprising the particulate material and a particulate binder;
- embedding the preliminary version of the part in a granular susceptor material, the granular susceptor material comprising a ceramic material, a microwave absorbing material, and a susceptor material binder;
- and
- subjecting the preliminary version of the part submerged in the granular susceptor material to microwave radiation from a microwave apparatus to form the processed part,
- wherein the microwave apparatus comprises:
- a first slotted waveguide comprising a plurality of longitudinal slots and a second slotted waveguide comprising a plurality of transverse slots.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.