Dielectric properties of cereals at frequencies useful for processes with microwave heating.

Dielectric properties of barley, corn (white and yellow), sorghum, and wheat at microwave frequencies for heating purpose were analyzed. Properties were determined at 915, 2450 and 5800 MHz with the free space transmission method in the cereals at 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 °C. ε´ and ε"of all the cereals decreased with increasing frequency. ε´ slightly increased with temperature, while ε "remained practically constant for all the cereals in the temperature range from 20 to 60 °C. Penetration depth decreased with increasing frequency for all the samples, and increased with increasing temperature at 915 MHz, except for barley. These results are useful for further microwave heating applications for the studies on cereals.