A plant for drying and solid state polycondensing a granular moisture-containing polymeric material includes a conduit feeding material to be treated longitudinally, a treatment zone located along the conduit, a blower of an inert gas into the conduit, and a radiating device emitting an alternating electromagnetic field in the radio-frequency band to dry and upgrade the material. The radiating device includes applicators, located at the treatment zone and external to the conduit in longitudinally offset positions, which are connected to the terminals of an electromagnetic wave generator and include pairs of opposed radiating elements that generate an alternating electromagnetic field in the conduit, with field lines at least partially parallel to the direction of feed of the material, and that define magnetic dipoles with opposite polarities along the conduit. A method of drying and solid state polycondensing a polymeric material in granular form obtained by polycondensation using the plant.

An apparatus for processing battery electrodes includes: a microwave applicator cavity with slots on opposite ends to allow a continuous sheet to move through the cavity in a first direction; a processing chamber constructed of microwave-transparent material, disposed within the applicator cavity and surrounding the continuous sheet, the processing chamber having slots to allow the continuous sheet to pass through it; a microwave power supply to deliver power to the applicator cavity; a source of heated gas providing a controlled gas flow through the processing chamber in a direction opposite the first direction; and, at least one non-contacting temperature measuring device positioned to measure a surface temperature at a selected location on the continuous sheet as it passes through the processing chamber. The apparatus is particularly suited for removing polar solvents from porous electrode coatings. A related method is also disclosed.

The present invention encompasses methods and apparati for heating a load (9) such as clothes immersed in a medium (such as water) during a heating period. A method embodiment of the present invention comprises heating the load (9) and medium within an enclosure (10) by subjecting said load (9) and medium to heated air (104) originated from a conventional energy source (1); and applying heat to said load (9) and medium within the enclosure (10) via an AC electrical field, embodied as a capacitor, originated from an RF power source (2).

An apparatus for processing battery electrodes includes: a microwave applicator cavity with slots on opposite ends to allow a continuous sheet to move through the cavity in a first direction; a processing chamber constructed of microwave-transparent material, disposed within the applicator cavity and surrounding the continuous sheet, the processing chamber having slots to allow the continuous sheet to pass through it; a microwave power supply to deliver power to the applicator cavity; a source of heated gas providing a controlled gas flow through the processing chamber in a direction opposite the first direction; and, at least one non-contacting temperature measuring device positioned to measure a surface temperature at a selected location on the continuous sheet as it passes through the processing chamber. The apparatus is particularly suited for removing polar solvents from porous electrode coatings. A related method is also disclosed.

Systems and methods are provided for chokes for microwave radiation. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a choke assembly. The assembly includes a first choke plate, and a second choke plate. The assembly also includes a first layer disposed at a surface of the first choke plate. The first layer includes a material that attenuates microwave radiation via dielectric heating by converting the microwave radiation into heat, and a substance, disposed between the material of the first layer and the gap, that is transparent to the microwave radiation. The assembly further includes a second layer disposed at a surface of the second choke plate that faces the first layer. The second layer comprises the material that attenuates the microwave radiation via dielectric heating by converting the microwave radiation into heat, and the substance, disposed between the material of the second layer and the gap.

A composite film is disclosed. The composite film includes a substrate, a thermal barrier layer located on top of the substrate, wherein the thermal barrier layer has a higher decomposition temperature than the substrate, and a thin film located on top of the thermal barrier layer, wherein the thin film is to be thermally processed by a pulsed light from a flashlamp.

Systems and methods are provided for chokes for microwave radiation. One embodiment is an apparatus that includes a choke assembly. The assembly includes a first choke plate, and a second choke plate. The assembly also includes a first layer disposed at a surface of the first choke plate. The first layer includes a material that attenuates microwave radiation via dielectric heating by converting the microwave radiation into heat, and a substance, disposed between the material of the first layer and the gap, that is transparent to the microwave radiation. The assembly further includes a second layer disposed at a surface of the second choke plate that faces the first layer. The second layer comprises the material that attenuates the microwave radiation via dielectric heating by converting the microwave radiation into heat, and the substance, disposed between the material of the second layer and the gap.

An infrared (IR) light source drying apparatus (10, 100, 120) is disclosed as including a body (123), an airflow output device (14, 104, 122) for outputting an airflow from the body, and an IR lamp (108, 124) for emitting an IR light ray, the apparatus being without any heating element in the path of movement of the airflow through the body. The airflow outputted by the drying apparatus (10, 100, 120) and directed towards a target (T) is at the ambient temperature, and serves to cool the target. The present invention can provide waterproof functions when drying the target, operate with batteries and use significantly less power for powering the drying apparatus.

A method of drying a green ceramic honeycomb body (20) comprising: moving the body (20) through a drying system (50) comprising interconnected microwave devices (60), wherein each microwave device (D1, D2, D3) comprises an entrance (62a, 62b, 62c) located at an upstream end and an exit (64a, 64b, 64c) located at a downstream end of the microwave device (D1, D2, D3), the ends defining a downstream direction (72) and an upstream direction (74) in each of the devices (D1, D2, D3); removing moisture from the body (20) by irradiating the body (20) with microwave radiation within each of the devices (D1, D2, D3); and flowing air against the outer peripheral wall (22) of the body (20) while the body (20) is located in each of the microwave devices (D1, D2, D3). The flowing is conducted such that one or more of a supply flow and an exhaust flow of air is adjusted in at least one of the devices (D1, D2, D3) such that the air flow in the system is at a predetermined magnitude substantially in the upstream (74) or downstream direction (72).

A plant for drying and solid state polycondensing a granular moisture-containing polymeric material includes a conduit feeding material to be treated longitudinally, a treatment zone located along the conduit, a blower of an inert gas into the conduit, and a radiating device emitting an alternating electromagnetic field in the radio-frequency band to dry and upgrade the material. The radiating device includes applicators, located at the treatment zone and external to the conduit in longitudinally offset positions, which are connected to the terminals of an electromagnetic wave generator and include pairs of opposed radiating elements that generate an alternating electromagnetic field in the conduit, with field lines at least partially parallel to the direction of feed of the material, and that define magnetic dipoles with opposite polarities along the conduit. A method of drying and solid state polycondensing a polymeric material in granular form obtained by polycondensation using the plant.