Synthesis of Graphene-like Materials from Acetylene Black, Activated Carbon, and Ketjenblack via Separated Microwave Electric and Magnetic Field Heating.

Acetylene black, activated carbon, and Ketjenblack were subjected to microwave heating up to 1000 °C under N2 atmosphere to rapidly convert them into graphene-like materials. Few carbon materials exhibit a favorable increase in the intensity of the G' band with increasing temperature. Upon electric field heating of acetylene black to 1000 °C, the observed relative intensity ratios of D and G bands (or G' and G band) were equivalent to those of reduced graphene oxide heated under identical conditions. In addition, microwave irradiation under different conditions, i.e., electric field or magnetic field heating, produced graphene of qualities different from those of the same carbon material conventionally treated at the same temperature. We propose that this difference arises from the different mesoscale temperature gradients. The conversion of inexpensive acetylene black and Ketjenblack into graphene-like materials within 2 min of microwave heating is a major achievement toward low-cost mass synthesis of graphene.

Behaviour of Microwave-Heated Al4SiC4 at 2.45 GHz.

The ongoing development of high-temperature processes with the use of microwaves requires new microwave absorbers that are useful at these temperatures. In this study, we propose Al4SiC4 powders as important and efficient microwave absorbers. We investigated both the behavioural microwave heating and electrical permittivity characteristics of Al4SiC4 powders with various particle sizes at 2.45 GHz. The TE103 single-mode cavity indicated that Al4SiC4 powder samples yielded different heating behaviours and dielectric constants for each particle size compared with SiC. By microwave heating ∅50 mm × 5 mm disks of Al4SiC4 and SiC, we demonstrate that for specific sizes, Al4SiC4 can be heated at a higher temperature than SiC. Finally, the results of the two-dimensional two-colour thermometer show that an energy concentration appears at the interface of the microwave-heated Al4SiC4. These phenomena, which are inconsistent in individual physical property values, can be explained without contradicting microwave heating physics.

Directly Microwave-Accelerated Cleavage of C-C and C-O Bonds of Lignin by Copper Oxide and H2 O2.

Model erythro, phenolic, and nonphenolic lignin ß-O-4 dimer compounds are treated with copper oxide and H2 O2 at the electronic field maximum position of a single-mode 2.45 GHz microwave system equipped with a cavity resonator. The products obtained through microwave heating and oil-bath heating with the same reaction vessel and temperature profile are quantitatively compared. Dimer degradation is found to proceed through consecutive elementary reactions. The phenolic dimer is dehydroxylated and this is followed by the spontaneous cleavage of Cα -Cß and C-O-C bonds to produce guaiacol, vanillin, and vanillic acid. The reaction of the nonphenolic dimer produces veratric acid, veratraldehyde, and guaiacol. Microwave irradiation accelerates cleavage of the side chain and the oxidation of vanillin to vanillic acid. However, no acceleration of veratraldehyde oxidation to veratric acid or aromatic ring cleavage to produce dicarboxylic acids is observed. The selective acceleration of elementary reactions during the degradation of model lignin compounds indicates that microwaves interact with reaction intermediates that are sensitive to electromagnetic waves.

Effect of Aspect Ratio on the Permittivity of Graphite Fiber in Microwave Heating.

Microwave (MW) heating has received attention as a new heating source for various industrial processes. Some materials are expected to be a more effective absorber of MW, and graphite is observed as a possible candidate for high-temperature application. We investigated the dependence of the aspect ratio of graphite fibers on both their heating behavior and permittivity under a 2.45 GHz MW electric field. In these experiments, both loss tangent and MW heating behavior indicated that the MW absorption of conductive fibers increases with their aspect ratio. The MW absorption was found to be well accounted for by the application of a spheroidal model for a single fiber. The absorption of graphite fibers decreases with increasing aspect ratio when the long axis of the ellipsoid is perpendicular to the electric field, whereas it increases with the aspect ratio when the long axis is parallel to the electric field. The analytical model indicated that MW heating of the conductive fibers is expected to depend on both the shape and arrangement of the fibers in the electric field.

Effects of Normothermic Conditioned Microwave Irradiation on Cultured Cells Using an Irradiation System with Semiconductor Oscillator and Thermo-regulatory Applicator.

We investigated the effects of microwave irradiation under normothermic conditions on cultured cells. For this study, we developed an irradiation system constituted with semiconductor microwave oscillator (2.45 GHz) and thermos-regulatory applicator, which could irradiate microwaves at varied output powers to maintain the temperature of cultured cells at 37 °C. Seven out of eight types of cultured cells were killed by microwave irradiation, where four were not affected by thermal treatment at 42.5 °C. Since the dielectric properties such as ε', ε" and tanδ showed similar values at 2.45 GHz among cell types and media, the degree of microwave energy absorbed by cells might be almost the same among cell types. Thus, the vulnerability of cells to microwave irradiation might be different among cell types. In HL-60 cells, which were the most sensitive to microwave irradiation, the viability decreased as irradiation time and irradiation output increased; accordingly, the decrease in viability was correlated to an increase in total joule. However, when a high or low amount of joules per minute was supplied, the correlation between cellular viability and total joules became relatively weak. It is hypothesized that kinds of cancer cells are efficiently killed by respective specific output of microwave under normothermic cellular conditions.

Effects of acidic functional groups on dielectric properties of sodium alginates and carrageenans in water.

This study investigated the dielectric properties of sodium alginates and carrageenans in water at frequencies between 100 MHz and 20 GHz in regard to water-hydrocolloid interactions via acidic functional groups. Both sodium alginates and carrageenans showed conduction loss at lower frequencies and dielectric loss at higher frequencies. Reduction and desulfation of sodium alginates and carrageenans, which decreased the numbers of acidic functional groups, decreased their conduction loss. In addition, H(+)-form carrageenans showed the highest ionic conduction. Correlational analysis of dielectric properties and related physical parameters showed that the loss tangent (tanδ) of the hydrocolloid solution was determined by the conductivity of the aqueous solution. Especially at pH below 2, strong H(+) conduction was associated with high tanδ probably due to the Grotthuss mechanism. The molecular dynamics of free water and H(+), viscosity conditions were also suggested to be associated with dielectric property of water-hydrocolloid system.

Microwave-driven asbestos treatment and its scale-up for use after natural disasters.

Asbestos-containing debris generated by the tsunami after the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, was processed by microwave heating. The analysis of the treated samples employing thermo gravimetry, differential thermal analysis, X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, and phase-contrast microscopy revealed the rapid detoxification of the waste by conversion of the asbestos fibers to a nonfibrous glassy material. The detoxification by the microwave method occurred at a significantly lower processing temperature than the thermal methods actually established for the treatment of asbestos-containing waste. The lower treatment temperature is considered to be a consequence of the microwave penetration depth into the waste material and the increased intensity of the microwave electric field in the gaps between the asbestos fibers resulting in a rapid heating of the fibers inside the debris. A continuous treatment plant having a capacity of 2000 kg day(-1) of asbestos-containing waste was built in the area affected by the earthquake disaster. This treatment plant consists of a rotary kiln to burn the combustible waste (wood) and a microwave rotary kiln to treat asbestos-containing inorganic materials. The hot flue gas produced by the combustion of wood is introduced into the connected microwave rotary kiln to increase the energy efficiency of the combined process. Successful operation of this combined device with regard to asbestos decomposition is demonstrated.

Functional group dependent dielectric properties of sulfated hydrocolloids extracted from green macroalgal biomass.

Dielectric properties of aqueous solutions of sulfated hydrocolloids (ulvan and rhamnan sulfate) extracted from green macroalgal biomass were studied in a frequency range of 100 MHz-10 GHz. Counterion exchange of native hydrocolloids (mixture of Na(+), Mg(2+) and Ca(2+)) to H(+)-form showed significant increase in loss factor due to ionic conduction. On the other hand, desulfations decreased their loss factors. The results suggested that ionic conduction of H(+) has significant contribution to loss factors. Additionally, H(+)-form hydrocolloids showed significant improvement in hydration, which might also affect the dielectric property of the solution by reducing the amount of free water. The viscosity, however, did not show apparent relevance with the dielectric property.