ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the essential parts of the microwave reactors, various configurations, design details, effect of wave guides, large scale applications, commercial and laboratory scale microwave reactor models and reliability and reproducibility issues in microwave reaction chemistry. The major components of a microwave reactor consist of the power supply and microwave generator, the applicator, and the control circuitry. The microwave source can be provided through numerous devices, most of which are vacuum tube based. The various microwave components are connected by waveguides of appropriate dimensions for the operating frequency. The chapter presents the distinctive features of single mode and multimode microwave reactor. Development of continuous processing is an important consideration when discussing the commercial advancement of microwave techniques for materials production. Large scale industrial production through microwave processing has several limitations. A Scandinavian biofuel company has developed a continuous flow microwave pyrolysis reactor.
