[Rockhounds] Microwave kilns

[Peter Sparks]

Thanks for the websites.  I was surprised at the variety of applications
that microwaves have been used, from drying wood, sterilizing food,
quality checking of products, to melting and refining of metals.  It
does give one ideas, but definitely more research is needed.  I'll pass
along the websites to my friend.

-- Peter

-----Original Message-----
From: rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com
[mailto:rockhounds-bounces at lists.drizzle.com] On Behalf Of J Bryan
Kramer
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2008 8:02 PM
To: Rockhounds at drizzle.com: A mailing list for rock and gem collectors
Subject: Re: [Rockhounds] Microwave kilns

There are lab grade microwaves used for fusions and digestions. They are
darned expensive tho.

I suspect the microwave mentioned in the CZ article may be an industrial
unit tuned to a specific wavelength that will promote the heating of the
salts. Probably not 2.45 GHz tho.

BK

On Thu, Feb 14, 2008 at 8:01 PM, Kreigh Tomaszewski
<Kreigh at tomaszewski.net>
wrote:

> Peter,
>
> The wikipedia article on microwave ovens has some good background info

> on the hazards of using microwaves.
>
>        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microwave_oven
>
> Here is a microwave ceramics kiln good for 2000C
>
>        http://microwaveprocessing.com/kiln.html
>
> Kreigh
>
>
>
>
> Peter Sparks wrote:
> >
> > I've been interested in kilns and backyard foundry work for a while,

> > and recently a friend mentioned using a microwave to create cubic 
> > zirconia, and even making diamond coatings with the microwave.  He 
> > was really interested in knowing "someone that is working on nano 
> > deposition (or whatever might work) of polymer coatings for surface 
> > free energy (non-stick)?"
> >
> > Well, I'm not going to pursue his question with this group but has 
> > anyone played with the microwave to make cubic zirconia rough, 
> > diamond deposition, diamonds, metal casting, stained glass slumping,

> > heat treating, ...?  My interest is knowing pitfalls or suggestions 
> > for doing this kind of work.
> >
> > I've included a few links, though I put in the diamond peanut 
> > butter/briquet as a lark.  If you make any send me some and we'll 
> > break the diamond monopoly overnight.
> >
> > Cubic zirconia
> > http://www.geologyrocks.co.uk/tutorials/cubic_zirconia
> >
> > Diamond deposition
> > http://www.ias.ac.in/pramana/v55/p933/fulltext.pdf
> >
> > Briquettes & peanut butter diamonds
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWhtkkOYoxo
> > http://www.rangeguide.net/diamonds.htm
> >
> > Peter Sparks
> > zebulon at isr.umich.edu
> >
>
> --
> _______________________________________________
> Rockhounds at drizzle Mailing List
> Subscription Services:
> http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds
> List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy:
> http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html
>



--
"Photography, as we all know, is not real at all. It is an illusion of
reality with which we create our own private world."
Arnold Newman


J Bryan Kramer
North Florida, USA
photos at:
http://pbase.com/photoburner


--- StripMime Report -- processed MIME parts ---
multipart/alternative
  text/plain (text body -- kept)
  text/html
---
-- 
_______________________________________________
Rockhounds at drizzle Mailing List
Subscription Services:
http://lists.drizzle.com/mailman/listinfo/rockhounds
List Home Page, with a link to the List Usage Policy:
http://www.eclecticlapidary.com/Rockhounds/index.html