Drying process and apparatus for ceramic greenware

Abstract

A method and system for drying a honeycomb structure having an original liquid vehicle content includes exposing the honeycomb structure to a first electromagnetic radiation source until the liquid vehicle content is between about 20% and about 60% of the original liquid vehicle content, exposing the honeycomb structure to a second electromagnetic radiation source different from the first electromagnetic radiation source until the liquid vehicle content is between about 0% and about 30% of the original liquid vehicle content, and exposing the honeycomb structure to convection heating until the liquid vehicle content is between about 0% and about 30% of the original liquid vehicle content.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A system for drying ceramic greenware that includes a liquid vehicle, the system comprising:
 a microwave drying center having a microwave generating apparatus adapted to dry a greenware by subjecting the greenware to microwaves;   an RF drying center having an RF generating apparatus adapted to further dry the greenware by subjecting the greenware to RF waves;   a convection heating center having a convection heating apparatus adapted to further dry the greenware by subjecting the greenware to convection heat; and   transport means configured to transport the greenware between the microwave drying center and the RF drying center, and between the RF drying center and the convection heating center.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the microwave drying center is separate from the RF drying center, and the RF drying center is separate from the convection heating center. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein
 the microwave drying center is configured to remove between about 40% to about 80% of an original liquid vehicle content of the ceramic greenware,   the RF drying center is configured to further remove between about 70% to about 100% of the original liquid vehicle content of the ceramic greenware, and   the convection heating center is configured to further remove between about 90% to about 100% of the original liquid vehicle content of the ceramic greenware.   
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the microwave drying center is configured to suspend subjecting the greenware to microwaves prior to decomposition of organic materials in the honeycomb structure. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the microwave drying center is configured to suspend subjecting the greenware to microwaves when a temperature of the honeycomb structure is at least 20° C. less than decomposition temperature of organic materials in the honeycomb structure. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the microwave drying center is configured to continue subjecting the greenware to microwaves until a maximum temperature of the honeycomb structure is equal to about the boiling point of the liquid vehicle. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the convection heating center is configured to dry the greenware by subjecting the greenware to convection heat for a period of less than about 24 hours. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the convection heating center is configured to dry the greenware by subjecting the greenware to convection heat for a period of less than about 1 hour. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the RF drying center comprises a parallel plate RF dryer.