Microwave Abatement: A Transformative Technology for Net-Zero Goals

The transformation is driven by an electrified, targeted approach to treating waste and emissions, which fundamentally reduces energy consumption and enables resource recovery.

Exceptional Energy Efficiency and Low Consumption

Traditional thermal abatement methods (e.g., incineration) are energy-intensive and inefficient. Microwave abatement offers a targeted approach through:

• Direct Energy Transfer: Microwaves couple energy directly into the waste stream, minimizing wasted heat. This is particularly effective in plasma-based systems and selective heating of catalysts or specific molecules.
• Lower Operating Temperatures: Microwave plasma can destroy hazardous gases (like PFCs) more efficiently and often at lower system temperatures than conventional combustion, resulting in lower energy requirements.
• Rapid Processing: The speed of microwave processing accelerates reaction kinetics, leading to faster throughput and further energy savings.

Enabling Electrification and Integration with Renewables

A core strategy for net-zero goals is the shift to renewable electricity. Microwave systems are fully electric and compatible with green energy sources:

• Decarbonization Potential: Powering abatement processes with renewable electricity avoids direct CO₂ emissions from burning fossil fuels for heat.
• Flexibility and Modularity: Microwave systems can be deployed for localized waste treatment or resource recovery, reducing the need for long-distance transport and associated emissions.

Resource Recovery and Waste-to-Value Streams

Microwave abatement converts harmful waste products into valuable resources, fostering a circular economy:

• Hazardous Gas Neutralization: In semiconductor manufacturing, microwave plasma systems effectively dissociate potent greenhouse gases like NF3, CF4 and NH3, preventing their release into the atmosphere.
• Waste-to-Value: Microwaves are used in the pyrolysis of plastics and e-waste to recover materials, oils, or char, supporting advanced recycling processes and waste volume reduction.
• Chemical Conversion: Processes like microwave dry reforming of methane (MW-DRM) convert CO2 into valuable syngas, turning a climate liability into a chemical feedstock.

Superior Destruction of Hazardous Emissions

Microwave technology provides a highly effective method for neutralizing potent greenhouse gases (GHGs) and hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs):

• Plasma Dissociation: High-energy plasma effectively breaks the strong chemical bonds of persistent pollutants (e.g., C-F bonds in PFCs, which have a global warming potential thousands of times that of CO2).
• High Destruction Efficiency (DRE): Microwave plasma systems achieve consistently high Destruction and Removal Efficiency (DRE), often exceeding 99.999% for even the most stable compounds.

Cleaner Operations and Regulatory Compliance

Microwave abatement offers a cleaner operational profile compared to combustion methods:

• No Secondary Pollutants from Combustion: As an electrical process, it avoids emissions of NOx, SOx, and particulate matter (soot).
• Easier By-product Handling: Plasma dissociation results in simpler by-products that are easier to capture and dispose of safely using standard wet scrubbers.

Learn More:

• MKS offers compact industrial microwave generators and systems in 915MHz and 2450MHz that are adaptable to a wide range of applications. See our Microwave Generators and Systems here
• Contact an MKS Applications Specialist to discuss how MKS Microwave Systems can improve your process.