A new microwave processing strategy for food-ceramic composite layer confined within ceramic plates

A theoretical analysis has been carried out to study the efficient microwave processing of discrete food sample ceramic composite attached with ceramic (Al2O3 and SiC) plates. Continuous food sample with a specific thickness corresponding to smaller power absorption is replaced by two discrete samples and processed with ceramic composite. The effective power and temperature distribution are found to be function of discrete food sample ratios, type of microwave incidence and ceramic layer thickness. The effect of ceramic material on various discrete sample ratios have been studied via effective average power vs. thickness of ceramic (Al2O3 or SiC) intermediate for one side and both sides microwave incidence. It is found that power absorption is enhanced significantly for beef sample due to specific thickness of ceramic composite corresponding to one side microwave incidence. The power enhancement is lesser and the temperature difference or thermal runaway is larger for bread samples as compared to beef samples. The enhancement of heat absorption is larger for one side incidence as compared to both sides incidence with identical total intensity of microwave incidence. The role of discrete samples with ceramic composites is significant for highly lossy substances (beef) whereas the composites do not play significant role on optimal processing of low lossy substances (bread). � 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.