Method and apparatus for transporting green work pieces through a microwave sintering system
AssigneesThe Pennsylvania State Research Foundation, Dennis Tool Company
InventorsMahlon Denton Dennis, Rustum Roy, Dinesh Agrawal, Paul Gigl
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Abstract
This disclosure sets forth a method and apparatus for microwave processing of green work pieces. Typically, individual green work pieces are formed in a small mold cavity crucible, and individual crucibles are then indexed into and out of a tube for a controlled transit time along the tube. The tube extends in one embodiment through a preheater and then into the microwave cavity, the preheater providing an initial heating step to change the rate of absorption of microwave energy so that microwave sintering is accomplished in the cavity.
Claims24
A sintering apparatus for green work pieces comprising:
- (a) a tube for green work pieces;
- (b) a preheater providing heat to green work pieces in said tube;
- (c) a microwave cavity cooperating with said tube so that preheated green work pieces are microwave sintered in said cavity by microwave energy after preheating;
- and
- (d) a transport for moving green work pieces along said tube over a timed interval for preheating and microwave sintering.
A method of sintering metallic particles into a finished body wherein the particles are reflective to microwave radiation at ambient temperatures comprising the steps of:
- (a) placing metallic particles on a path to move through a sintering process;
- (b) preheating the particles to raise the particles to an elevated and intermediate temperature selected so that said particles are less reflective to microwave radiation;
- (c) after preheating then heating said particles in microwave radiation to a temperature and for an interval to sinter the particles into a finished body.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.