Can You Microwave Bricks?

Microwave Ovens

• Microwave ovens function by creating microwave radiation and trapping it inside until all of the available energy is absorbed or lost. The magnetron is the device that actually generates the waves and is the part most likely to be destroyed when metal is improperly placed in the microwave. Small particles of metal, such as those in the linings of sleeves designed to work with microwaved sandwiches, are not large enough to cause damage to this sensitive device.

Arcing Metal

• What most people observe when obvious metal, such as a spoon or aluminum foil, is left in the microwave is akin to an electrical storm. The microwave radiation is reflected from many pieces of metal instead of being absorbed. The visible result of this reflection is an electrical arc, though this process often results in the heating of the metal as well.

Brick Ingredients

• Bricks are primarily composed of clay and sand. Other ingredients include shale, barium carbonate and water. Chromite chromox, manganese, garnet and iron oxide are often used as colorants. Many of these ingredients are metallic, though they exist in bricks in very low concentrations. Metal ions are separated from one another by sand and clay particles.

Microwaved Bricks

• While it is not advisable to microwave bricks, they are unlikely to cause damage to your microwave. Small metal particles tend to absorb heat in a microwave instead of reflecting the microwave radiation. For this reason alone, bricks should not be placed into microwaves; they may come out extremely hot.