Effect of microwave heating on diffusion in KCl–KBr single crystals

The interdiffusion in single-crystal KCl–KBr diffusion couples, which form continuous solid solutions, is examined under microwave heating (24 GHz). The results are compared with data obtained under conventional heating. Electron microprobe analysis is used to examine the composition of the diffusion zone and microscopic analysis is used to examine its microstructure. It is shown that ion interdiffusion occurs faster under microwave heating than under conventional heating. The ascending diffusion of Cl and Br ions is revealed under microwave heating. The microstructure of the diffusion zone between KCl and KBr single crystals is highly heterogeneous after microwave heating and markedly different from that after conventional heating.