A study of microwave sintering uranium dioxide pellets has been performed with the aim to densify material. Microwave heating carried out in a 2.45 GHz multimode cavity, designed fit different requirements linked nuclear ceramics. Hybrid and direct (i.e., without susceptor) conditions were out. In hybrid condition, thermal cycles at temperatures up 1700°C, rate 20 °C/min dwell times 10–60 min c...

Sintering of supported metal catalysts is of primary interest in heterogeneous catalysis. The presence of reactant gases, especially oxidants, often accelerates the sintering of supported metal catalysts. Our in situ studies using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) compare the sintering of Au particles supported on TiO2(110) in the presence of CO, O2, or mixtures of the two gases. The results ...