Measurement/computation of effective permittivity of dilute solution in saponification reaction

For better application of microwaves in chemistry, the interaction between microwaves and the chemical reaction needs further study. Since the reactants form a complicated mixture, which changes with time, an effective permittivity can be used to describe the molecular polarization of the mixture in the reaction. The effective permittivity is expected to change with microwave frequency, temperature and reaction time. However, in many cases, the change of effective permittivity in a saponification reaction is too small to be detected using traditional methods. In this paper, we present a hybrid experimental/computational method for determining the effective permittivity in a saponification reaction. We use a resonant coaxial sensor to measure the reflection coefficients. To predict its performance, the electromagnetic-field distribution near the sensor and the reflection coefficient are calculated employing a frequency-dependent finite-difference time-domain method. Next, we develop a genetic-algorithm-based inverse-calculation technique and employ it to determine the complex permittivity of pure water from the measured reflection coefficient and compare the results with those obtained from Debye's equation. Finally, the hybrid experimental/computational method is employed to determine the effective permittivity of a dilute solution in a typical saponification reaction. Results are presented and discussed.