Can 'microwave effects' be explained by enhanced diffusion?

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/5536

Title: Can 'microwave effects' be explained by enhanced diffusion?
Author(s): Antonio, Christian; Deam, Rowan T.
Abstract: The 'microwave effect' or non-thermal effects due to microwaves have been the subject of intense debate. This paper explores the following hypothesis: if the transport of an active species is a rate limiting step in a reaction, and if microwaves enhance the diffusion of that species, then the overall reaction rate would change under microwave heating compared with conventional heating. If the hypothesis is correct then it should be possible to pick those reactions that would speed up, slow down or stay the same, under microwave irradiation. One consequence of the hypothesis is that the equilibrium states (end point of the reactions) remain unchanged by microwave irradiation. The measurements and theory presented here strongly suggest that this hypothesis is correct.
Publication type: Journal article
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences. Industrial Research Institute Swinburne
Source: Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, Vol. 9, no. 23 (2007), p. 2976-2982
Publication year: 2007
Publisher: Royal Society of Chemistry
ISSN: 1463-9076
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b617358f
Peer reviewed