Journal of Microwave Power and Electromagnetic Energy (JMPEE)

 

TITLE

A Novel Microwave Applicator for Tailoring the Energy Input for Hydrothermal Synthesis of Zeolites [PDF]

AUTHORS

Ch. Stenzel, M. Brinkman, J. Miller, R. Schertien, Y. Venot and W. Wiesbeck

2001

36

3

155-168

 

YEAR

VOLUME

ISSUE

PAGES

 

Abstract

A new applicator system for microwave heating of aque­ous solutions for the hydrothermal synthesis of zeolite crystals has been developed and experimentally charac­terized. It is based on a short-ended coaxial waveguide with the solution being inserted as a lossy dielectric. The electrical and thermal design of the autoclave has been optimized by numerical simulations of the E-field and of the temperature distribution respectively. Different ref­erence temperature profiles - a homogeneous and a gra­dient one - could be established within the zeolite solu­tion and were held constant over time. From tempera­ture measurements at various positions in the solution the two reference profiles could be verified. Temperature dif­ferences of less than 15°C have been measured within the homogeneous autoclave whereas differences up to 55°C have been found in the gradient autoclave. In the first synthesis experiments using this applicator zeolite crys­tals of the zeolite A and VPI-5-type could be successfully crystallized.

 

Key Words:  Microwave heating, zeocite synthesis, dielectric properties of zeolite solutions