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I want to activate some carbon inside a microwave. Temperatures will reach 900 C, hence ceramic is the best choice. However, it is quite difficult to find air tight ceramic containers. I intend to use a ceramic fiber blanket to seal all the gaps. on the ceramic bowl as well as on the outside of microwave to minimize any airflow in the carbon.

I do not foresee any challenges with this. Just waned to confirm.

On a related note, I need to measure the temperature. One of the options is to make a hole in microwave for the sensor to pass through. Another is to use thin probe wires. Want to use the first one because I have the sensor. What will be the best way to seal the hole in microwave when i am not using the sensor? Microwaves shouldn't leak.

Appreciate your help.

Amit Agarwal
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  • why do you believe that microwave ovens are designed for high temperatures? – jsotola Nov 12 '22 at 17:17
  • I have heated the contents to very high temperatures. Had no way of measuring the max temperature but my guess is it was pretty high. Because the borosilicate glass broke due to thermal shock. Thermal shock may not be indicative of very high temperature but high temperature sure it is. Additionally, confirmed with a consultant. Unlikely he is wrong. – Amit Agarwal Nov 12 '22 at 17:22
  • @AmitAgarwal I think what jsotola is not referring to the ability of the microwave to produce a high temperature: If you just keeping dumping energy into something without letting it leave the temperature will get as high as you want. I think he's referring to the microwave not being damaged by something so hot sitting inside it. – DKNguyen Nov 12 '22 at 19:03
  • But for temperature you might consider thermal/temperature indicating sticks/crayons/markers before going into too much work. – DKNguyen Nov 12 '22 at 19:09
  • Also, is it a good idea to seal something airtight like that and heat it? Because if there is air inside it is going to expand and it could explode. And if it's not quite air tight you might get the same vacuum jar effect where pressurized air forces itself out through the seals and when it cools there is a partial vacuum inside preventing you from opening it. – DKNguyen Nov 12 '22 at 19:13
  • As demonstrated by the internet, you can do anything you want. Is it a good idea. No. It's a real bad idea to cut a hole in a microwave. And you are using it for something beyond it's capabilities. Doubtful you will get any conservative engineers to condone it, but I have been wrong in the past. We don't do anything without math to back us up. – StainlessSteelRat Nov 12 '22 at 21:11
  • You don't need to seal the container airtight: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10450-019-00017-5 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.0c00674 – Rob Nov 12 '22 at 21:44
  • Without making it airtight, a lot of it is going to turn to ash. because carbon will reach auto ignition temperature. any presence of oxygen will burn it lowering the yield significantly. may also lower the quality of final carbon. so airtight is crucial. – Amit Agarwal Nov 13 '22 at 04:05

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