This article studies the possibility of intensification of Kharanorskoe deposit brown coal alkaline activation by way of electromagnetic microwave radiation (EMR) exposure in order to obtain sorbents. There is data that presents investigation of qualitative and adsorption properties of sorbents obtained from 0-2 mm brown coal samples impregnated with potassium hydroxide at a KOH / coal of 1 g / g weight ratio and subjected to thermolysis at 800 °C in the thermal shock mode. The authors carried out a detailed analysis of three options for thermal treatment of the coal-alkali mixture ahead of thermolysis: coalalkali mixture drying to indiscrete mass, EMR treatment and combination of ones. The design of a laboratory microwave oven for heat treatment of raw materials based on the use of EMR at a frequency of 2,450 MHz is presented. It was found out that the effect of electromagnetic microwave radiation with a frequency of 2.450 MHz makes it possible to increase the adsorption activity on iodine by 4-6%, reaching a value of 97%, to significantly shorten the time of preliminary heat treatment of the coalalkali mixture and to shorten the thermolysis time when sorbents obtain.