A combination for carrying out microwave assisted reactions is disclosed, such as acid digestion and solvent extraction. The combination includes a microwave transparent pressure-resistant reaction vessel and a flexible film fluoropolymer liner inside the reaction vessel. The flexible film liner has a size and shape that substantially conforms to the inner walls of the reaction vessel. A pressure-relief closure is positioned on the reaction vessel and the flexible film liner, and an infrared temperature detector that operates in wavelengths (frequencies) to which both the reaction vessel and the flexible liner are transparent, so that an exact fit and conductive heating to the outside of the reaction vessel are not required.

A precision volumetric liquid dispensing instrument is disclosed that includes two pressure sensors and a fluid passageway with a defined volume portion in communication with the two sensors for receiving and distributing liquid in relatively small volumes. One of the pressure sensors is positioned to measure pressure at one portion of the defined volume portion of the fluid passageway and the other of the gas pressure sensors is positioned to measure gas pressure at a different portion of the defined volume portion of the passageway. At least one valve is in communication with the passageway for moving fluids into or out of the defined volume portion of the fluid passageway, and a processor carries out a step selected from the group consisting of (i) calculating the volume of the liquid based upon the measured pressure and (ii) metering a liquid into the defined volume portion of the fluid passageway until the measured pressure indicates that a desired volume of fluid is in the fluid passageway.

An apparatus is provided for applying electromagnetic energy at a frequency or frequencies in a frequency range of 1 MHz to 100 GHz to an object in a cavity via at least one radiating element. At least one processor is configured to receive a target energy distribution, select, based on the target energy distribution, a plurality of sets of values of field-affecting parameters controllable by the apparatus. The parameters include at least one of frequency, phase, and amplitude. The apparatus provides for the control of a source coupled to the at least one radiating element to excite a respective field pattern for each selected set of values.

Embodiments relate to methods for enhancing chemical conversions. One or more embodiments relate to a method for enhancing a multi-step chemical conversion reaction. The method includes providing a reactant mixture comprising one or more reacting specie(s); and providing a catalyst or sorbent comprising one or more support materials and one or more deposited catalytically active materials. The method further includes applying an electromagnetic field with a prescribed power, frequency, and pulsing strategy specific to interactions of reactant species and an electromagnetic field with at least one of the support materials, sorbent, and catalytically active materials in a particular chemical reaction.

A solid state combinatorial synthesis of particulate diamond ranging in size from the macroscopic down to the nanoscale, which entails: a) forming a solution having a source of reactant atoms, a tetrahedranoidal compound reactant, and a solvent vehicle; b) forming liquid droplets of the solution; c) evaporating the solvent vehicle from the liquid droplets of the solution to form particles containing a homogenous solid mixture of the reactants; and d) exposing the particles of the homogeneous solid mixture to a high energy discharge thereby forming diamond particles.

A microwave heating system comprises a bowl, dome and rotor device. The dome is fit to the bowl. The bowl and dome form a volume. The bowl is connected to a microwave source such that a microwave field is supplied to the volume. The microwave field is attenuated in a region between the rotor device and the dome compared to a region between the bowl and the rotor device. The rotor device is rotatably supported by the bowl and supports a reaction vessel. The rotor device includes a base plate with a through-hole and a tubular member that receives the reaction vessel. The base plate and tubular member are metal. The rotor device is coupled to the base plate so that a longitudinal axis of the tubular member passes through the through-hole.

Carbon dioxide, such as may be used for a carbonated beverage, is produced by microwave thermal decomposition of a starting material. An apparatus for the process includes a microwave generator, a microwave chamber, a capsule received in the chamber containing starting material(s) and one or more channel(s) for recovering CO.sub.2 generated in the process.

In one aspect, the disclosure relates to a method for converting waste plastics into value-added products, the method including the steps of (a) contacting the waste plastics with a catalyst to form a reaction mixture and (b) applying microwave irradiation to the reaction mixture. In another aspect, disclosed herein are value-added products including, but not limited to, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons produced by the process disclosed herein. This abstract is intended as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present disclosure.

There are provided a microwave irradiation apparatus and a production method of metal nanoparticles for producing the metal nanoparticles that allow efficiently preparing the metal nanoparticles having small and uniform particle sizes. The present disclosure relates to the microwave irradiation apparatus that includes two microwave irradiation sources, two waveguides, and one reaction portion. The two microwave irradiation sources are disposed such that respective microwave emission units thereof face one another. The two microwave irradiation sources, the two waveguides, and the one reaction portion are disposed such that respective microwaves emitted from the two microwave irradiation sources pass through the two waveguides and contact an entire surface of the one reaction portion. Furthermore, the reaction portion is adjusted to have a specific size.

Embodiments relate to methods for enhancing chemical conversions. One or more embodiments relate to a method for enhancing a multi-step chemical conversion reaction. The method includes providing a reactant mixture comprising one or more reacting specie(s); and providing a catalyst or sorbent comprising one or more support materials and one or more deposited catalytically active materials. The method further includes applying an electromagnetic field with a prescribed power, frequency, and pulsing strategy specific to interactions of reactant species and an electromagnetic field with at least one of the support materials, sorbent, and catalytically active materials in a particular chemical reaction.