Microwave travels at the speed of light, and transfers energy solely to materials. This holds great promise for energy conservation in industrial processes. However, due to differences with common heating principles, and misunderstanding of the correct way to handle them, the effectiveness of microwaves has been underestimated, and development of technologies using microwaves often stops due to this. This paper has focused on the use of microwave heating for organic/polymer synthesis, specifically for a highly effective condensation reaction and for use with ionic reactants. In addition to covering the process of ascertaining which reactions are suitable for the application of microwave heating, and introducing studies on scaling these up, this paper covers points of caution, especially those relating to the all-important measurement/control of temperature. Based on their accumulation of expertise in the area, the authors present the design for equipment/plants for industrial use and introduce their research into the practical application of such technology.
Keywords: Esterification; microwave heating; microwave-assisted esterification; microwave-assisted polymerization; polycondensation.
© 2019 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.