Abstract: The development and current applications of microwave heating in the field of rare earth metallurgy and new material synthesis are reviewed. It is found that microwave heating directly heats the materials through material energy dissipation, and has the advantages of high heating efficiency, high energy utilization, significantly improving product performance, and so on. As a new heating mode, microwave heating is attracted more and more attention, with the development of research, it would play an important role in the fields of rare earth metallurgy and new material synthesis, and has wide application prospects.