The role of metal insert in a cylindrical resonant cavity on the microwave vulcanization of tires

Currently, the distribution and evolution mechanism of electromagnetic and temperature fields in the resonant cavity during tire microwave vulcanization remain unclear, with limited research on vulcanization uniformity. This study analyzed how the shape, size and position of metal insert in the resonant cavity affect tire microwave vulcanization. Results show that metal insert improve tire temperature uniformity by 12.5% and shorten heating time by 210 s, with hexagonal ones yielding the best uniformity. Small interferences barely affect temperature distribution; optimal uniformity occurs at an outer radius of 150 mm, worsening when larger. Interferences in the cavity center minimize heating time, while movement increases it. Position changes impact temperature distribution, with the best uniformity achieved when the interference in the cylindrical cavity moves down 175 mm. This study focuses on thermal field uniformity during curing, without explicitly modeling cure kinetics or crosslink density evolution.