Microwave drying process scale-up

Drying is an important operation in the process industry usually involving heat applied to separate a liquid from a solid, leading to the evaporation of the liquid phase (water or another solvent). As drying is an energy-intensive activity and dryers are expensive pieces of equipment, drying must be carried out as economically as possible. Utilizing microwaves, a fundamentally different method of energy transfer, in the drying process can be potentially advantageous compared to the conventional drying due to the selective nature of interaction of the microwaves with the product to be dried. This paper addresses some of the aspects, benefits and challenges associated with the use of microwave technology in the drying process and intends to provide scientists and industrials (end users) with basics elements of the microwave equipment and some practical issues associated with industrial processing using microwaves as to enable a better understanding of microwave assisted drying and what it takes to scale it up.