Aluminum foil lunch box is widely used due to its good barrier properties and thermal conductivity, but it is prone to sparks and deformation during microwave heating. Understanding and mastering relevant preventive measures is essential for the safe and effective use of aluminum foil lunch box for microwave heating.
Choose aluminum foil materials with high purity and good quality. Aluminum foil with low impurity content has higher stability in the microwave field and can reduce local overheating and sparks caused by uneven materials.
Reasonably control the thickness of aluminum foil. Generally speaking, the thickness of aluminum foil lunch box used for microwave heating should be moderate. If the aluminum foil is too thick, it will absorb too much microwave energy, easily generate sparks and heat unevenly; if it is too thin, it may cause the lunch box to be insufficient in strength and easy to deform during heating. Usually, aluminum foil with a thickness of about 0.0160.02mm is more suitable.
The shape of the lunch box should be as simple and regular as possible, avoiding sharp corners and narrow gaps. Because during microwave heating, these parts are prone to form electric field concentration, resulting in excessive local electric field strength, which can cause sparks.
The structure of the lunch box can be optimized, such as adding reinforcing ribs or adopting a double-layer structure. The reinforcing ribs can increase the strength of the lunch box and reduce the possibility of deformation; the air layer in the middle of the double-layer structure can play a certain role in heat insulation, reduce the temperature of the outer wall of the lunch box, and also help to disperse the microwave energy and make the heating more uniform.
The surface of the aluminum foil is passivated to form a dense oxide film. This oxide film can not only improve the corrosion resistance of the aluminum foil, but also reduce the direct effect of microwaves on the aluminum foil to a certain extent, and reduce the probability of sparks.
Surface coating treatment is performed, such as coating a layer of high-temperature and microwave-resistant insulating material. This coating can isolate the aluminum foil from the microwave field, prevent the aluminum foil from directly absorbing microwave energy, and at the same time protect the aluminum foil and reduce deformation. Common coating materials include polytetrafluoroethylene, etc.
Avoid using too high microwave power for heating. High-power microwaves will cause the aluminum foil lunch box to quickly absorb a lot of energy, which is easy to cause sparks and deformation. Generally speaking, for the aluminum foil lunch box, medium and low power gears should be selected for microwave heating.
Accurately control the heating time. Heating for too long will cause the lunch box to be overheated, increasing the risk of deformation. It may also cause the aluminum foil to react with certain ingredients in the food and produce sparks. According to the type and amount of food, set the heating time reasonably, and stir the food appropriately during the heating process to ensure uniform heating.
When placing the aluminum foil lunch box in the microwave, make sure that the lunch box is kept at a certain distance from the inner wall and turntable of the microwave oven to avoid direct contact between the lunch box and these parts. Because the electric field distribution may be uneven on the inner wall and turntable of the microwave oven, direct contact can easily cause local overheating of the aluminum foil lunch box.
Do not place the aluminum foil lunch box in the corner or edge of the microwave oven. Try to place it in the center of the microwave oven so that the microwave radiation received by the lunch box is more uniform and the possibility of sparks and deformation is reduced.
During the microwave heating process, the aluminum foil lunch box can effectively prevent sparks and deformation by selecting appropriate materials and thickness, designing a reasonable lunch box structure, adopting special processing technology, controlling microwave heating power and time, and correctly placing the lunch box, thereby achieving safe and efficient microwave heating and providing convenience for people's daily life.
