Investigation of the dielectric properties of particles by finite element analysis

An investigation of the dielectric properties of powdered materials using a parallel plate waveguide is presented. The numerical model is implemented using a finite element method with a TE/sub 10/ mode current source. Small particles are simulated by applying the dielectric constant to a random selection of triangles in the material region. In the two dimensional case, an adaptive mesh technique is implemented to obtain an efficient mesh. A comparison with analytic models and measurements is provided.