6 - Microwave dielectric properties of foods and some other substances

Abstract

Dielectric properties of food materials are important in numerical modeling of microwave heating. Data are needed not only for homogeneous items at room temperature but also for frozen and drying-out items, also including dynamic enthalpies. Particulate sizes in inhomogeneous food items cause permittivity modifications, requiring formulas for calculations for such mixtures. All these conditions and phenomena are described with practical examples, as are the important basics of the relaxation properties of water and the influences of ions such as from salt