Corning Incorporated

Nadezhda Pavlovna Paramonova

Jacob George

James Anthony Feldman

Amit Halder

Michael Dean Seymour

Todd Parrish St Clair

Willard A Cutler

Paul Andreas Adrian

Steffen Georg Klingler

Erwin Josef Wersching

Willard Ashton Cutler

A microwave mode stirrer apparatus having a stirring member with microwave-transmissive regions is disclosed, along with methods of performing microwave stirring using the microwave mode-stirring apparatus. The microwave-transmissive regions can be in the form of holes or can include microwave-transmissive material. The stirring member can have a variety of configurations, and the microwave-transmissive regions can have a variety of sizes and shapes. A microwave oven that uses the mode stirrer apparatus for drying green ceramic-forming bodies is also disclosed.

Microwave mode stirrer apparatus with microwave-transmissive regions

Systems and methods for rapid drying of ceramic greenwares having a high graphite content are disclosed. The methods include employing microwave drying to bring the dryness of the ceramic greenware to a first select dryness and then employing close-coupled hot-air drying to bring the dryness to the final target dryness. The judicious use of close-coupled hot-air drying reduces end defects due to unevenness in the microwave drying process while also substantially speeding up the drying process. Various configurations for and combinations of microwave drying and close-coupled hot-air drying are disclosed.

Rapid drying of ceramic greenwares

Tray assemblies and methods for manufacturing ceramic articles are provided. In one embodiment, a tray assembly includes a tray body having a supporting surface operable to support a ceramic article for passage through a microwave drying apparatus during a microwave drying process and a microwave coupling cover associated with the tray body. The microwave coupling cover envelopes at least a portion of the ceramic article during the microwave drying process. The microwave coupling cover has a dielectric property such that a greater percentage of microwave energy is coupled into the ceramic article with the microwave coupling cover present during the microwave drying process than with the microwave coupling cover not present. Methods may include rotating the ceramic article when the ceramic article is about 40%-60 dry.

Tray assemblies and methods for manufacturing ceramic articles

Systems and methods for efficient microwave drying of extruded honeycomb structures are disclosed. The methods include conveying first and second sets of honeycomb structures in opposite directions through multiple applicator cavities. Each honeycomb structure has a moisture content M, and the honeycomb structures within each cavity define an average moisture content Mbetween 40% and 60% therein. The methods include irradiating the first and second sets of honeycomb structures within the cavities with microwave radiation having an amount of input microwave power Pthat results in an amount of reflected microwave power Pfrom the honeycomb structures, where P&#x3c;(0.2)P. This allows for a relatively high microwave power to be maintained in each cavity. Batch microwave drying methods are also disclosed.

Systems and methods for efficient microwave drying of extruded honeycomb structures

Growing community of inventors

Saint-Petersburg, Russia

Nadezhda Pavlovna Paramonova