Enhanced microwave processing of oil-water emulsions confined within ceramic and ceramic/metallic or composite plates

A detailed theoretical analysis has been carried out on enhanced microwave heating of one-dimensional emulsion samples confined within ceramic and ceramic/metallic or composite plates. A preliminary study has been carried out via average power vs emulsion thickness diagram to estimate microwave power absorption within emulsion samples (o/w and w/o) for various plate assemblies. Two maxima in average power or resonances (R1 and R2 modes) have been considered corresponding to specific emulsion thicknesses for efficient processing of samples. It is observed that, microwave power absorption is enhanced for both o/w and w/o emulsions in presence of metallic (single/composite) plates during both R1 and R2 modes. However, efficient heating strategies are characterized by 'large heating rates' with 'minimal thermal runaway effects' within the sample. Therefore, based on a number of case studies for detailed distributions of power and temperature, suitable heating strategies have been recommended for various compositions of o/w and w/o emulsion samples. © 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.