A new microwave kiln has cut the firing time for porcelain wares to no more than two hours, compared with six to seven hours, potentially changing the production model of the industry.
The new kilns greatly improve efficiency and save energy, said Peng Hu, general manager of Innov-Source Industrial High-Tech Co., Ltd, in Jingdezhen, China's porcelain capital in eastern Jiangxi province.
The company's microwave kiln is being exhibited at the 2015 International Ceramic Expo, which opened on Sunday in Jingdezhen, a famous Chinese porcelain-making center with more than 1,600 years of sophisticated ceramic production.
The technology was developed after one year of research by Peng, a microwave expert, and Duan Zhenmin, a local porcelain heating expert.
Microwave kilns reduce the occurrence of transfiguration or cracking of wares in the heating process, according to Peng.
The rate of finished, unbroken products using microwave kilns reached 90 percent or higher, much higher than the 70 percent or so of local electric kilns.
The technology will boost small batch production of porcelain wares with fashionable designs for customers, especially tourists, said Duan.
More than 50 universities and scientific research institutions brought their advanced porcelain-making technology to the five-day exhibition, which also attracts companies from Germany, Britain and Japan.
