Dielectric Properties of Materials and Measurement Techniques

The dielectric properties of materials are defined, and the nature of their dependence on moisture content, frequency of the applied electric field, temperature of the material, and density of particulate materials is discussed. Dielectric properties of liquid water are summarized. The influence of moisture content, frequency, temperature, and density on the values of the dielectric constant and loss factor, real and imaginary parts of the relative complex permittivity, respectively, are illustrated for several different kinds of materials. Examples include dielectric properties for the cereal grains corn and wheat, pecans, and pulverized coal. Techniques for the measurement of dielectric properties of materials at high frequencies and microwave frequencies useful for dielectric heating and drying applications are discussed briefly, and numerous publications describing these methods in greater detail are cited for reference.