[Histonet] paraffin and microwaves

[Rene J Buesa]

Jennifer:
  You cannot heat paraffin in a microwave oven because, as you point out, paraffin is microwave transparent, i.e. is not a molecule with areas that can absorb the MW energy.
  Paraffin heating in MW oven is possible when the paraffin itself contains aditives that can absorb the energy, or when fragments of Weflon (=Teflon covered with carbon that abosorbs MW) is added to the container either is constructed with Weflon or has a piece of Weflon in the bottom (that sometimes rotates). 
  Another solution is how Sakura has developed its Xpress TP, with 4 chambers, 2 heated by MW of low intensity, and 2 regular chambers, heated by convection where the paraffin infiltration takes place.
  At the beginning the addition of small marble or earthware balls in the paraffin bath was a solution. The MW heated the marbles and the paraffin was heated by heat transmission.
  Also, if you heat the paraffin in a conventional oven and add the cassettes and place them both in the MW oven, the paraffin will remain melted and the cassettes with their tissues inside will act like the marbles and will irradiate the heat they receive from the MW.
  René J. 

Jennifer MacDonald <JMacDonald <@t> mtsac.edu> wrote:
  
How does one heat paraffin for microwave processing if paraffin i= s
microwave transparent? The protocols that I have read simply say par affin at 84 degrees C or such. They don't say how to get there.


Thank you,





Jennifer&nb= sp;MacDonald
Director, Histotechnician Training ProgramMt. San Antonio College
1100 N. Grand Av= e.
Walnut, CA 91789
(909) 594-5611 ext. 4884 [1]jmacdonald <@t> mtsa= c.edu


References

1. 3D"mailto:jmacdonald <@t> mtsac.edu"
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