Increasing Microwave Power Research Articles

Quantitative Analysis of Basalt Damage Under Microwave Radiation Utilizing Uniaxial Compression and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Experiments

Microwave-assisted rock breaking is recognized as an effective technology for reducing tool wear and enhancing rock-breaking efficiency. In this study, basalt rock was irradiated with a microwave power of 3 kW and 6 kW for 30 s, 60 s, 90 s, and 120 s. Subsequently, uniaxial compression, uniaxial loading and unloading, and acoustic emission tests were performed. The damage evolution of basalt was assessed through non-destructive acoustic testing methods and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. The results showed that the P-wave velocity, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), and modulus of elasticity (E) exhibited varying degrees of deterioration as the microwave radiation time increased. An increase in microwave radiation time and power led to heightened acoustic emission activity in basalt and a significant rise in the proportion of shear cracks during uniaxial compression. From an energy perspective, microwave irradiation decreased the energy storage capacity of the basalt specimen prior to its peak point, with increased power and duration. At a microscopic level, porosity and the macroporous fractal dimension increased with extended microwave radiation time and power, indicating that microwave irradiation facilitated the growth of larger fractal pore structures. The findings of this study offer scientific insights for the application of microwave-assisted rock crushing.

Evaluation of Drying Characteristics and Quality Attributes for Microwave Vacuum Drying of Pork Skin Crisps.

As an important by-product of pork, pork skin can be processed into meat-based leisure food products to improve its utilization. In this study, microwave vacuum drying (MVD) technology was used to investigate the effects of microwave powers (600, 700, and 800 W) and processing duration on the drying characteristics and quality attributes of pork skin crisps (PSC). Five classical drying models were used to non-linearly fit the experimental data, and the Midilli et al. model was suitable for characterizing the MVD process of PSC. Before reaching a constant rate of drying, increasing microwave power and time can improve the brittleness and expansion ratio of PSC. In the constant rate drying stage, most of the free water in PSC was removed, showing the best brittleness and a stable expansion ratio. High power and long processing time can lead to serious lipid oxidation and change the flavor of PSC. Overall, the desired quality of PSC is recommended as 700 W for 6 min. This study can provide a reference for MVD application of meat-based by-product leisure foods.

Solid Effect Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Enhancement of >500 at 9.4 T.

Efficient polarizing agents for dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) enhanced magic angle spinning (MAS) NMR spectroscopy are of high current interest due to the potential to significantly boost NMR sensitivity. While most efforts have centered on cross-effect (CE) or Overhauser effect (OE) mechanisms, yielding enhancement factors up to ∼300 at 9.4 T, radicals yielding solid effect (SE) DNP have seen less development. Here we model the comparative performance of OE and SE mechanisms and then measure 1H enhancement factors up to 500 from 1,3-bisdiphenylene-2-phenylallyl (BDPA) in an ortho-terphenyl (OTP) matrix at 9.4 T, 100 K, achieved via increased microwave power across the sample volume. The measured SE and OE performances are in good agreement with the predictions. We note that both the experimental and theoretical analyses indicate that SE DNP remains saturation limited, particularly at elevated temperatures, and we envisage that further improvements in microwave power will further increase SE DNP enhancement factors.

Study on Drying Characteristics of combined microwave-hot air drying of Paddy

Combining microwave drying with traditional hot-air drying can significantly enhance drying efficiency and uniformity owing to its unique internal heating characteristics, making it suitable for drying fresh paddy susceptible to mold. In this study, a fresh paddy was dried using a microwave fluidized-bed dryer to investigate the drying characteristics and assess the influence of microwave power, microwave duration, hot-air temperature, air velocity, and tempering time ratio. Key parameters, including drying rate, moisture diffusion coefficient, moisture transfer coefficient, activation energy, thermal efficiency, and specific energy consumption, were calculated. The results indicated that increasing microwave power and hot-air temperature significantly reduced drying time, achieving a maximum thermal efficiency of 54.26% and a moisture diffusion coefficient of 10.995 × 10-9 m2/s at a hot-air temperature of 55 °C. This confirmed the high efficiency of the combined drying method. A tempering time ratio of 1:4 optimized energy utilization and maintained paddy quality. Additionally, the Verma model accurately predicted moisture content in this new drying system. The results provide valuable insights for applying combined microwave-hot air drying in the paddy drying industry.

Microwave-vacuum drying behavior of rosehips: Experimental investigation and mathematical modeling

In this study, the microwave-vacuum drying of rosehips (Rosa canina) was investigated and the effect of different drying conditions during the microwave vacuum drying process on the drying kinetics of rosehips was determined. For this purpose, microwave vacuum drying experiments were carried out until a moisture content less than 10 % by weight was attained at three power (50, 100, and 150 W) and three pressure (40, 75, and 110 mBar (abs)) levels. The drying times ranged from 75 to 195 min depending on the power level and vacuum degree applied. Seven different mathematical models, which are most commonly used in the literature, were fitted to the experimental data, and among these models, the most suitable model was selected by considering the statistical criteria of the highest regression coefficient (R2), the lowest chi-square (χ2), total squared error (SSE) and root mean square error (RMSE). The drying rate (DR) increased with increasing microwave power levels under all pressure levels. The Midilli model was proposed as the best-fit model for predicting the drying behavior of rosehip plants under all drying process conditions. The effective moisture diffusion (Deff) of rosehips under different drying conditions during the MVD process ranged from 5.81⨮10−8-17.32⨮10−8 m2/s and increased with the increasing microwave power at constant pressure.

Microwave-assisted chemical looping gasification of sugarcane bagasse biomass using Fe3O4 as oxygen carrier for H2/CO-rich syngas production

Chemical looping gasification (CLG) is a promising approach for sustainable biomass utilization. The selection of an appropriate heating method is a key challenge in the CLG process. This study investigated microwave-assisted CLG of sugarcane bagasse using Fe3O4 as an oxygen carrier. The effects of microwave power (580, 680, 780, 880, and 980 W) and oxygen carrier to biomass mass ratio (mOC:mSCB) (0:6, 1:5, 2:4, 3:3, 4:2, and 5:1) on product distributions, syngas compositions, syngas efficiencies, and syngas HHVs were studied. Results showed that with increase in microwave power and mOC:mSCB ratio, syngas yield, syngas efficiency, and syngas HHV initially increased and then finally decreased. The optimal conditions were found to be 880 W power and a 3:3 ratio. The optimal syngas yield of 88.23 wt% was achieved in the air reactor at 880 W with a 5:1 ratio. Pyrolysis yielded H2 and CO-enriched syngas, while gasification increased CO concentration. The highest CO + H2 concentration of 64.96 vol% was obtained in the fuel reactor at 880 W with a 3:3 ratio. The maximum thermal efficiency (49.55 %), cold gas efficiency (49.48 %), carbon conversion efficiency (54.42 %), and HHV (16.31 MJ/Nm3) were observed in the fuel reactor at 880 W and a 3:3 ratio. Microwave-assisted heating achieved an impressive heating rate of 1166.40 °C/min at 980 W and 5:1 in air reactor. This study shows that microwave heating can be utilized as efficient heating in CLG for sustainable biomass utilization.

Effects of microwave pretreatment on the physicochemical properties of enzyme-infused carrots

We investigated the possibility of textural modifications in older individuals with dysphagia by administering microwave treatment to enzyme-infused carrots. Microwave pretreatment conditions, including processing time and power levels (120, 400, 640, and 800 W), were examined for their impact on texture softening efficiency, microstructure, β-carotene content, and color. Regression analysis confirmed that processing time substantially influenced carrot hardness, with higher the softening rate increasing as microwave power levels rose from 120 to 800 W. The log-linear model demonstrated a strong correlation coefficients (R2 = 0.9732–0.9407) across different power levels, confirming its reliability in achieving the target texture. The derived times, based on a log-linear model, successfully reached a target hardness of 5.0 × 104 N/m2 (KS level 2), with times of 371 s at 120 W, 198 s at 400 W, 72 s at 640 W, and 61 s at 800 W. The samples pretreated for the derived times corresponding to 120, 400, 640, and 800 W exhibited varying porosity levels, influencing the quality of enzyme-infused carrots. With increasing microwave power, the microwave-pretreated carrots showed improved color (more yellow and red) and preservation of β-carotene, potentially linked to shorter processing times. These results suggest that microwave pretreatment followed by enzyme infusion is an efficient approach to softening carrot texture without compromising its quality, and the log-linear model offers a predictive framework for modifying food textures in dysphagia management.

The effect of cold plasma pretreatment on drying efficiency of beetroot by intermittent microwave-hot air (IMHA) hybrid dryer method: Assessing drying kinetic, physical properties, and microstructure of the product

This study examined the effects of cold plasma (CP) pretreatment with durations of 1, 3, and 5 min on drying kinetics, microstructure, and physical properties, including shrinkage, rehydration ratio (RR), and bulk density of beetroot dried samples using intermittent microwave-hot air (IMHA) drying at 40 °C and pulse ratios (PR) of 1 and 2. While increasing PR decreased drying rate (DR) and effective moisture diffusivity (Deff), increasing microwave power from 180 to 600 W increased both, reducing drying time and specific energy consumption (SEC). Extended CP-pretreatment doubled DR, 66% increased Deff, and 24% reduced SEC. Both increasing CP-pretreatment time and microwave power had similar effects on shrinkage, RR, and bulk density, but CP-pretreatment was more prominent; reducing shrinkage by 18%, bulk density by 23%, and increasing RR by approximately 36% in 5-min. X-ray imaging showed that 600 W of microwave power increased porosity by 87%, while 5-min CP-pretreatment increased it by 27%. As the optimum condition, CP-pretreatment for 5 min, continuous microwave application, and 600 W of MW power produced the best kinetics and physical properties. Overall, the results demonstrated that the appropriate CP-pretreatment duration could produce high-quality dried samples.

Influence of localized thermal effect of microwave heating on the carbothermic reduction process of ZnFe2O4

As an environmentally efficient method, microwave heating has been proposed to recover Zn from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD) recently. During the process, microwave irradiation has been shown to promote the reaction by lowering the reaction temperature and activation energy, in addition to providing efficient heat. However, the mechanism by which microwave heating promotes the zinc removal reaction of EAFD remains unclear. Thus, this study focused on ZnFe2O4, the primary component of EAFD, and developed an electromagnetic-thermal-chemical reaction coupling model to investigate the factors influencing the carbothermic reduction process of ZnFe2O4 and analyze the promoting mechanism of the microwave on the reaction. The main results indicate that the localized thermal effect, determined by the microwave distribution, exacerbates temperature differences and leads to non-uniform reaction behavior inside the sample. Increasing microwave power and graphite addition enhances the localized thermal effect, worsening field uniformity. In the simulation, the localized thermal effect of microwave heating reduced the activation energy of the zinc removal reaction to 252.97 kJ/mol, with an R2 reaction model. The assistance of the non-thermal effect in enhancing ion diffusion leads to a significant decrease in the activation energy observed in the actual microwave heating experiments.

Extreme ultraviolet emission spectra of a low-pressure microwave neon discharge

In this paper, in order to reveal the discharge mechanism and optimize the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission lines in intensity of a low-pressure microwave (MW) neon discharge, the EUV neon spectra is carefully characterized under varied MW powers and neon pressures. The corona balance is verified to be valid for the neon upper levels of the measured EUV lines, and the electron temperature T e is derived by the modified Boltzmann plot method and the line-ratio method. Both results of the methods present a decreasing trend of T e with growing neon pressure, but the values in a range of 1.87-5.77 eV deduced by the former method is in general lower than that calculated by the latter with a range of 2.23–5.58 eV in similar neon pressure range. It is also found that the increase of MW power from 90 to 135 W only leads to a slight increasing of T e . A global model is applied to estimate the electron density n e , which is found to lie in the order of magnitude of 1010 cm−3. The dependence of the plasma parameters on different discharge conditions is analysed in detail, which in turn provide a favourable basis for further optimization of the promising low-pressure MW discharge radiation source.

Green biorefinery of walnut husk: Phenolic extraction and ethanol production

Microwave and ultrasound techniques were utilized on walnut green husk (WGH) to extract valuable phenolic compounds and enhance the residual biomass's susceptibility to hydrolysis for subsequent ethanol production. The aim was to optimize process variables in order to achieve an integrated biorefinery with the zero-waste-base standpoint. For microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), four-time levels (0.5, 1.0, 2.0, and 5 min) and power settings (300, 450, 600, and 800 W) were tested. Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was conducted at a frequency of 28 kHz and power of 100 W over varying time intervals (2, 6, 10, 14, 18, and 22 min). Generally, higher power settings and longer extraction times produced higher contents. Specifically, the maximum total phenolic content (TPC) (220.13 mg GAE/g-DW), total flavonoid content (TFC) (63.21 mg catechin/g-DW), and DPPH scavenging activity (86.13 %) were achieved using the highest power and longest extraction time for MAE. Similarly, the longest UAE time resulted in the highest TPC (214.32 mg GAE/g-DW), highest TFC (58.44 mg catechin/g-DW), and DPPH scavenging activity (76.15 %). Moreover, increased microwave power and longer extraction times favored glucose and ethanol yields, with maximum yields of 55.30 % and 36.67 %, respectively, obtained at 800 W for 5 min. For UAE, the highest glucose and ethanol yields (52.33 % and 34.16 %, respectively) were obtained at 22 min. Conversely, lower extraction times and power settings for microwave, as well as shorter ultrasound times, were beneficial for lignin removal. The application of MAE and UAE in the WGH biorefinery process enhanced the extraction of phenolics and improved biomass hydrolysis, leading to more efficient, sustainable, and economically viable production of biofuels and bioproducts.

Experimental Investigation on Electrical Conductivity Variation of Carnosine and Zinc Chloride Aqueous Solutions under Microwave Irradiation.

The mechanism of biological effects of environmental electromagnetic radiation is still not completely clear. The chelation of biological small molecule peptides with metal ions plays a very important role in human metabolism. In this paper, a special experimental system was designed to measure the conductivity of carnosine and zinc chloride mixed aqueous solutions under different concentration ratios, microwave powers, and temperatures. The experimental results show that, first, different concentration ratios can alter the conductivity change rate of the mixed aqueous solution. The conductivity of the solution always increases under microwave irradiation at a concentration ratio of 1:1. However, the conductivity is reduced by -0.04% with a 1:5 concentration ratio and 6 W microwave power at 10 °C. Second, temperature can alter the conductivity change rate of the aqueous mixture. The higher the temperature, the smaller the conductivity change rate. Third, different microwave powers can alter the conductivity change rate of the mixed aqueous solution. In general, the conductivity change rate increases with an increase in microwave power. Experimentally observed reduction of the conductivity change rate in carnosine and zinc chloride aqueous solution under low microwave power and low temperature indicates that microwaves do affect the chelation of carnosine with zinc chloride. This work provides a new perspective for the mechanism of explanation of microwave biological effects.

Enhancing Mushroom Freezing Quality Using Microwave-Assisted Technology.

This study investigated the effects of microwave-assisted freezing on the quality attributes of button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Four levels of microwave power (0, 10, 20, 30%) were applied to the mushroom samples during freezing. The quality attributes of the frozen and thawed mushrooms were then evaluated. The results suggested that higher microwave power produced the smaller and more uniform ice crystals. Moreover, the browning index of the mushroom samples increased with increasing microwave power. The textural properties (hardness) of the mushrooms were also affected by the microwave power, showing higher values as the power increased. Furthermore, the ratio of the microwave operating system's power to the freezer power was low and approximately 20% at the highest power level. Therefore, these findings confirm the potential of microwave-assisted freezing for reducing freeze damage to mushroom tissue and, thus, provide frozen mushroom with a better texture.

Microwave freeze-drying characteristics and crosslinking behavior of wheat starch-laurel acid complex

This article investigates the effect of different microwave powers on the crosslinking behavior and microwave freeze-drying characteristics of wheat starch-lauroyl arginate complex during the microwave freeze-drying process. During microwave freeze-drying, as microwave power increased from 0.1 W/g to 0.9 W/g, the freeze-drying time of WS-LA was reduced by 50 %, while the uniformity of freeze-drying was not affected by its composition. In the research results obtained from DSC, Raman spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), XRD, and SEM analyses, with the microwave power increased from 0.1 W/g to 0.9 W/g, the enthalpy value of the melting peak of the WS-LA (wheat starch-lauric acid) composite decreased from 1.15 J/g to 0.62 J/g. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) value increased from 25.6 to 30.79. The ratio of absorbance at 1022/995 cm−1 increased from 1.0111 to 1.0707. The recrystallization (RC) value decreased from 8.77 % to 0.07 %. Additionally, in the microstructure, the size of WS-LA composite particles decreased accordingly. The above findings indicated that the increase in microwave power during microwave freeze-drying had a negative impact on the formation of the WS-LA complex and the ordering of its structure in the sample.

A novel and efficient method for synthesizing reduced charge montmorillonite

Layer charge (LC), a paramount physiochemical characteristic of montmorillonite (Mt), has been garnered considerable attention on its regulating and impact on modified Mt products. Incorporating small cations such as Li+ into the tetrahedral/octahedral sheets of Mt, or employing acid treatment, are feasible methods to reduce its LC. However, conventional techniques for producing reduced charge Mt (RC-Mt) often suffer from prolonged processing times, complex procedures, and high consumption of water and energy. Moreover, the formation mechanisms of RC-Mt remain inadequately understood. To address these challenges, this study proposes a novel and efficient method combining dry lithiation and microwave irradiation to prepare RC-Mt, and compares it with a conventional acid treatment. The research also explores the applications of RC-Mt, focusing on organic modification and the evaluation of adsorption performance. It was found that the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of RC-Mt diminished with increasing microwave power and time, LiCl dosage, HCl concentration, acidification duration and temperature. It has been demonstrated that the dry lithiation & microwave method significantly reduces the total preparation time of RC-Mt to 12 min while eliminating the generation of wastewater. The pivotal advantages of this approach include its efficiency, time-saving, and minimal environmental impact. Analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (SSNMR) revealed that microwave irradiation facilitates the migration of Li+ into the hexagonal cavities and octahedral vacancies of the Mt tetrahedral sheets. Additionally, acid treatment results in the dissolution of octahedral cations from Mt. The modified products of RC-Mt with lower CEC, exhibited enhanced adsorption of perchlorate ions (ClO4−). These findings offer significant insights into the modification of Mt and its potential for advanced technological applications, presenting a promising avenue for future research.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of electrode materials for LIBs: MoS2/rGO heterostructures

The incomplete reduction of graphene oxide (GO) yields reduced graphene oxide (rGO), characterized by a zero band gap and intrinsic layer stacking, thus constraining its practical utility across diverse domains. Fortunately, this challenge can be effectively addressed by employing a suitable substrate for the fabrication of MoS2/rGO heterostructures. Nanocomposites of MoS2/reduced graphene oxide (MoS2/rGO-700W and MoS2/rGO-560W) were synthesized using MoS2 and GO solutions as starting materials through microwave-assisted synthesis with microwave power treatments of 700W and 560W, respectively. Structural characterization results reveal that the particle size of MoS2 within the composites is notably smaller compared to that of pure MoS2. The MoS2/rGO-700W composite demonstrates a more homogeneous dispersion of MoS2 and features a well-developed hierarchical porous structure with increased pore volume and specific surface area. The MoS2/rGO-700W composite demonstrates elevated ID/IG ratio, C/O ratio and C = C peak area, suggesting that increased microwave power enhances the removal of oxygen-containing groups from rGO. This process significantly restores the extended conjugated structure of graphene, thereby offering enhanced conductivity at the MoS2 interface. Furthermore, the proposed strategy holds considerable theoretical value and provides significant insights for the development process of novel MoS2-based composite electrode materials.

Reducing the Energy Consumption during Microwave Drying of Coal Slime Dough by Optimizing Parameters: Experiment and Modeling.

Reducing the energy consumption in microwave drying processes is essential for the sustainable management of coal slime. Utilizing a self-constructed microwave thermogravimetric apparatus, the research investigates critical parameters, including microwave power, spherical diameter, and granule size, affecting drying kinetics and energy efficiency. The results show that it was observed that the drying process progresses through three distinct stages, marked by variations in temperature and moisture content: the initial warming phase, a steady drying stage, and a final phase where the drying rate decreases; optimal pellet sizes for efficient moisture evaporation and diffusion were identified, with smaller particles enhancing heat transfer and drying efficiency; and the Nadhari model was determined to best represent the drying kinetics of coal slime under microwave radiation. The findings indicate a positive correlation between drying efficiency and particle size while being inversely related to increased microwave power for smaller granules. A direct positive relationship between moisture migration and increased power levels was established, while an inverse relationship with the enlargement of particle sizes was observed, negatively affecting the efficiency. For granule sizes of 30, 40, and 50 mm, a decrease in activation power was recorded, with values of 8.215 ± 2.301, 7.936 ± 1.547, and 3.393 ± 0.248 W·g-1, respectively; and through the comparative analysis of energy consumption, it was demonstrated that for coal slurry particles sized 0.15-0.18 mm subjected to a drying duration of 600 s, an increase in power leads to a reduction in drying efficiency, whereas larger diameter contributes to improved efficiency.

Structural and functional assessment of keratin extracted from chicken feathers using microwave-assisted l-cysteine method

Extracting and applying waste feather keratin are important environmental challenges. This study utilized microwave-assisted l-cysteine treatment on chicken feathers, pH adjustments varied reducing capacity of l-cysteine, while modulated microwave power explored synergistic extraction effects on properties of keratin. The highest yield of regenerated keratin was achieved at an l-cysteine concentration of 15 g/L, pH 12, and a microwave power of 400 W. Micromorphological and particle size results revealed that the keratin particle size increased with pH dependency, the highest proportion of particle size values in keratin increasing from 164 nm in L1 (extracted at pH 11) to 220 nm in L5 (extracted at pH 13). Increasing the intensity of both treatments led to a transition of the secondary structure of regenerated keratin from α-helix to β-sheet, but the increasing reducibility of the system resulted in a decrease in the content of tryptophan residues in keratin, whereas the increase in microwave power led to the masking of some fluorescent chromophores within the keratin. The regenerated keratin demonstrated low crystallinity, and it may have undergone refolding and aggregation under microwave-assisted highly reducing extraction conditions. The foaming properties indicated that the highly reducing extraction system significantly decreased foam stability from 95.4% for L1 to 19.8% for L5 (p < 0.05) and improved foaming ability to keratin. Considering the widespread applications of keratin, this study provides a comprehensive characterization of regenerated keratin under different extraction conditions, aiming to offer experimental materials and extraction conditions tailored to specific requirements in the field of biomaterials.

Multi-physical field coupling modeling of microwave heating and reduction behavior of zinc oxide

Microwave heating provides a cleaner pyrometallurgical method for separating zinc from electric arc furnace dust (EAFD, a solid waste generated during steel production with excellent dielectric properties). Despite its undisputed heating efficiency, the impact of microwave heating characteristics on the zinc removal process from EAFD remains unclear. This paper focuses on ZnO, one of the primary components of EAFD, and develops an electromagnetic-thermal-chemical reaction model to analyze the effects of microwave power and graphite addition on heating behavior, reduction reactions, field distributions, and reaction kinetics. The results indicate that the heat generated from the interaction between microwaves and materials exhibits inherent non-uniformity, leading to the localized thermal effect and making the error of general temperature measurement methods. Increasing microwave power and adding graphite enhance heating efficiency and promote the reduction reaction but also result in significant internal-external temperature disparity and worse temperature distribution. At 1000 W, with 1.2 times the stoichiometric amount of graphite addition, the temperature measurement error reaches approximately 200 °C, potentially affecting the kinetic results to a certain degree. The non-isothermal kinetics results from simulations indicate that the localized thermal region exhibits a lower average activation energy of 47.5 kJ/mol compared to experimental results, suggesting that the lower activation energy of the ZnO reduction reaction during microwave heating is primarily caused by the localized thermal effect rather than the non-thermal effect. Additionally, in the energy distribution, the higher proportion of return loss during heating underscores the importance of a well-designed microwave heating system.

Novel superhard BC10N synthesized by microwave plasma CVD

Microwave Plasma Chemical Vapor Deposition (MPCVD) was used to synthesize novel superhard BC10N on silicon substrates. Feedgas mixtures of H2, CH4, N2, and B2H6 were used for a range of systematically varied microwave power, chamber pressure, and flow rate conditions. Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES) was used to guide the synthesis of BC10N. Plasma optical emission from the C2 peak increases with pressure up to 80 Torr and saturates in the 80–100 Torr range. The C2 emission also follows the same trend, growing non-linearly with increasing microwave power (for fixed chamber pressure of 30 Torr). The presence of abundant C2 in the plasma is advantageous under specific growth conditions to produce superhard carbon-rich BC10N, a material that has been theoretically predicted but not yet synthesized. Findings obtained from X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) elucidate the existence of BC, CN, BN, and B-N-C bonding in the synthesized coating. Nanoindentation hardness measurements are within the superhard regime, showing an average hardness of 63 GPa.