A comparison of the effects of microwave versus conventional drying on the mechanical properties distribution of dried green porcelains

Abstract

The effect of fast microwave drying of electroporcelain insulator component was studied by determining the reliability parameter. The Weibull modulus was calculated using the three-point bend strength data of a large number of green samples which were dried using microwave energy. The results were compared with those obtained by conventional drying methods. It was observed that in most cases, microwave-dried components yielded higher Weibull modulus than their conventionally dried counterparts. A high modulus value of >15 was achieved on the microwave-dried samples. The analysis of the result was useful in understanding the fast drying process in ceramics. © 2008 The American Ceramic Society.