Microwave (MW) energy has found a wide application in a number of sectors including construction, medicine, science, and domestic, among others. Its uses range from the production of carbon-based and inorganic compounds, and nanomaterials. The success of this technology for domestic applications has made it to stand out as a fundamental alternative for approximately all heating processes. The energy is thought to offer a means for prompt uniform heating, advanced processing efficacies, and achieve improved material properties. The wide range of possible MW application is made possible by its several advantages in heating processes, some of them being its improved depth of penetration, the strong absorption of MW by water, real-time and accurate electronic control, minimal generation of tributary waste, efficient and clean heating processes, and energy efficiency and short processing periods. Additionally, the application of the technology in some processes such as ceramic powder production provides some distinctive benefits, particularly with regard to the achievement of submicron sizes with controlled constitution. Ideally, in the synthesis of cement and other construction materials,the technology should be handy, considering that it displays essential and excellent dielectric properties, making it possible to absorb and change MW energy into heat. However, the application of MW heating to cement synthesis may alter the physiochemical properties. The present paper offers an exhaustive assessment of the application of MW heating in cement manufacturing, outlining its merits and providing a critical analysis of the existing microwave-assisted synthesis alternatives in cement manufacturing.
Volume 12 | Issue 6
Pages: 326-340
DOI: 10.5373/JARDCS/V12I6/S20201036