Remote microwave heating and ignition with an embedded receiving antenna within nanocomposites

This study demonstrates the use of a receiving antenna within a material to transmit microwave energy resulting in dielectric heating and ignition in a direct writing process. The wire antennas themselves do not heat, but rather the induced electric field results in dielectric heating of the sample, and with sufficient electric field strength, triggers ignition. With different length of embedded receiving antenna, local hot spots were generated at the ends of the receiving antenna as imaged with an IR camera. Simulation of a monopole source and receiving antennas, shows a spatial correspondence of the calculated electric field and the measured hot spots. We also demonstrate that receiving antennas can be incorporated to trigger ignition at desired locations, with multiple ignition points from which flame propagations can be induced. This study provides a new way to design and remote control the location of the hot spots and ignition.