ABSTRACTPolyphase ceramic and metal ceramic composites with at least one high dielectric loss component are potential candidates for application of microwave sintering, because of the high effectiveness of power dissipation and short sintering times. In order to identify material parameters essential for effective microwave sintering, different mixtures of conductive, semiconductive and insulating phases were investigated. When only a limited amount of a highly dissipative component is present, a modification of the grain size and morphology of the dissipative phase has been identified as major factor leading to optimized microwave heating behavior. Surprisingly, microwave sintering is also possible in the presence of a metallic liquid phase.