Numerical Study of Microwave Heating of Micrometer Size Metal Particles

Abstract

Absorption of microwave energy in conductive nonmagnetic spherical particles is analyzed by means of finite element method. The frequency of the microwave is 2.45 GHz. To find out roles of the electric and magnetic fields in the heating process, conditions of the electric and magnetic anti-nodes in a standing wave are simulated. Results clearly show that single metallic particles are mostly heated by the magnetic component of the electromagnetic field. Density of the absorbed energy has maximum at some fixed particle radius, which equals to 3.3 μm for the case of copper particles. Penetration length into multi particle system is estimated.