Visit Of Prof John Booske To The UK Regarding The 'Microwave Effect'

Completed

Energy Efficiency(Residential and commercial)
Energy Efficiency(Industry)

Basic and strategic applied research

PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND MATHEMATICS (Metallurgy and Materials)

Not Cross-cutting

Professor J Binner
Inst of Polymer Tech and Materials Eng
Loughborough University

Standard

EPSRC

27 February 2006

26 March 2006

1 months

£11,949

Materials processing

East Midlands

Structural ceramics and inorganics -- Materials, Mechanical and Medical Eng

Professor J Binner, Inst of Polymer Tech and Materials Eng, Loughborough University

There are many research groups worldwide who are investigating the potential for using microwaves as an alternative energy source for the processing of a wide range of materials, chemicals, food, etc. Within this activity, a small number are investigating the so-called 'microwave effect', that is, unexpected enhancements in process reaction paths or kinetics. The UK is particularly rich in having no less than 7 independent teams working in the field. Whilst a considerable amount of evidence has been gathered internationally over the past two decades or more, most has involved performing experiments in both conventional and microwave equipment; most of the time the facilities have not been equivalent and techniques such as temperature measurement have not been the same in both cases. Recently, however, definitive experiments have been performed that avoid these pitfalls, most of them in the UK. They show very clearly that there is a genuine effect. Now attention is turning to trying to explain the effects. Many theories exist, but most of these were based on the poor evidence available at the time. There is now a need for someone, preferably a theoretician, to correlate all of the data gathered in the UK by touring around a number of organisations and then studying it with a view to identifying both evidence for and against the different theories and also to identify new definitive experiments that could be performed. These ideas then need discussing by the experimental experts so that a clear path forward can be identified. A final report will be written and disseminated very widely via the internet and presentation at major international conferences, activities that will result in further input, in the form of both comments and, hopefully, further experimental results

01/01/07