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Science project about materials and microwave oven

I am doing design technology at school. I am 17, and I have to do I project. for my project I am planning to make a bowl, plate and mug which is able to go in the microwave it will be made of two materials the base will be made of one material which warms up very hot in the microwave and stays hot and the sides will be made from a different material which does not heat up. this is so that while you are eating/drinking your food it will stay hot as the heat will be rising up and warming the food but you will be able to touch the bowl because it will be made out of a material which will not heat up so hot. I was wondering which materials you think I should use? thank you very much for your time.

Purdey F.
student, woldingham school - London, England
2004

Well its a low level science project and you want to make a bowl which doesn't heat up from the edges but gets heated up from the bottom.

For this I would suggest that you use certain material which is a good thermal conductor at the bottom and the material whose conductivity is bad you should use that at the edges. Normal steels used in utensils can be used at the bottom and wood can be used at the edges simple.

For further querries don't hesitate asking.

Shehzad Saleem Khan
GKSS Research Centre - Geesthact, Hamburg, Germany
2004

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As I understand it, it is not a good idea to put metals into a microwave as they tend to arc over. However, you can get microwave ovens that are dual function and double up as browning ovens. I would look at the materials that are suitable for such ovens. You will need to find a material, such as a plastic, that does not absorb microwaves but is a good thermal insulator. Perhaps expanded polystyrene may be a good insulator and if it is put in a sandwich of another plastic, such as the types used in microwave utensils, it may just work!

Trevor Crichton
R&D practical scientist
Chesham, Bucks, UK
2004