2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

THE ELECTROMAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF FOOD MATERIALS FOR MICROWAVE HEATING

1

A.L.M.L. Mata1*, W. Mata2, L. S. L. Fernandes1

Departamento de Engenharia Qumica CT, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte 2 Departamento de Engenharia Eltrica CT, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract. Microwaves are used in industry primarily as a source of thermal energy. Historically, it is in the
field of food cooking that the thermal applications of microwaves took off. Applications currently in use include cooking, as well as the reheating of prepared meals. This process is very attractive due to the brief startup periods and rapid uniform heating due to the penetration of the microwaves into the product, compared with conventional heating. During microwave heating, many variables in the food affect the heating performance. One of the most significant is the complex permittivity of the food, which describes the materials ability to absorb, transmit and reflect electromagnetic energy. This dependence of the complex permittivity with the temperature gives a better understanding of the physical phenomenon, because the material characteristics change during the heating process. The objective of this work is to characterize the electric properties of rice, macaroni, chicken, beef, carrot, beet and potato. For this, the complex permittivity was obtained for the frequency range of 2 GHz to 3 GHz as a function of the temperature. Frequency dependence curve were obtained for dielectric constant and loss factor of each food material. For all studied cases, both the dielectric constant and the loss factor change with the frequency. The results obtained were quite satisfactory compared with those found in the literature, proving the different abilities of the foods in absorbing electromagnetic energy in the microwaves band studied. These results can be used for physical phenomenon comprehension as well as in modeling studies for the frozen foods industries applications.

Keywords: MICROWAVE HEATING, DIELECTRIC CHARACTERIZATION AND MICROWAVE PROCESSING.

1. INTRODUCTION
Advancements in technology happen fast nowadays. Industries search improvements for the production process. Goods and services that improve the human environment are widely found in markets. It is becoming more and more common people feed ready and freeze meals to facilitate their lives. The microwaves are used commonly as a source of heat. In food industries, the microwaves technique is used to heat up, to dry, to sterilize, to thaw, etc. Therefore, dehydrated foods, diet and light foods, and ready ones appeared. However, one of the problems that the industry faces up, in relation to ready meals, concerns about the non-uniform heating that is observed when these materials are heat up in a microwave oven, RYYNNEN (1995), RYYNNEN et al. (1996), WANG et al (2003). Such behavior is caused by different time of heating of each component due to their different ways of transforming the microwaves energy. This work seeks to quantify the electromagnetic energy absorption through the complex permittivity measurement to optimize the heating process of foods. 1.1. The Electromagnetic Heating: Brief Theory The use of microwaves in food heating is advantageous due to the process rapidity and it exists for more than 40 years, but it became very popular after the production of microwave ovens, which happened more recently.

Address: Departamento de Engenharia Qumica, UFRN - Lagoa Nova, 59078-970, Natal/RN Brasil Email: anadamata@eq.ufrn.br

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering
The microwaves are radio waves in a frequency range from 300 MHz to 300 GHz, corresponding to wavelengths between 1m and 1mm. The electromagnetic heating consists in the transformation of the electric power in thermal. The process is based on the direct interaction between the excited electromagnetic field and the electrical sensitive particles of the medium that can be ions or fluid dipole molecules, LEONHARDT et al. 1997), LIAO et al. (2003), RYYNNEN (1995). The microwave heating results from the degradation of the transported energy by the electromagnetic wave in thermal. In other words, when a dielectric material of polar molecules is submitted to an electric field in which the frequency increases gradually, their molecules tend to be guided constantly in the direction of the field. Starting from a certain frequency, the inertia of the molecules and the resistance of the chemical connections provoke a non synchronism of the movement of these molecules in relation to the field oscillation. This is the relaxation band where these antagonistic forces exercised on the molecule are expressed by dissipation in heat, for friction, of a part of the field energy. Thus, the microwaves cause, in a loss medium, heating in volume where the thermal properties of the material are not so relevant in respect to their dielectric properties known as the medium complex permittivity. The permittivity of the medium is a complex amount ( = - j), where the real part () describes the ability of a substance to transmit and reflect the electromagnetic energy; otherwise, the imaginary part () describes the ability of a substance to absorb the electromagnetic energy. Many permittivity measurement techniques are described in the literature, where their advantages and limitations determine the choice of the measurement system. There are several methods to determine the dielectric properties, according to the frequency range, such as transmission lines, free space methods, etc. The complex permittivity of a substance varies with its composition, temperature and frequency. The water is the largest representative of most foods, consequently their dielectric properties are greatly influenced by the water content. Finally, the knowledge of the dielectric properties of a substance is useful for oven construction, selection of the packing material and food development, ANDRES et al. (2004), BEKE et al. (1997), SHARMA et al. (2001), VAN DER VEEN et al. 1.2. Mathematical Model The electromagnetic heating is governed by the conservation of energy equation:

T = .[ T ] + Pe t ( + ) r r * E .E = E 2 2

(1)

Pe =

(2)

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering
Where Pe is the electromagnetic power for unit of medium volume and E represents the effective value of the electric field. The medium electric conductivity ( ) is related with the medium ionic conductivity ( ), frequency (=2f) and relaxation constant ( ) given by the expression:

= +
The medium complex permittivity () is given by the expression:

(3)

= j
Where,

+ = (1 j tan )

(4)

+ tan =
2. MATERIAL AND METHODS

(5)

A dielectric properties measurement system used in this study consisted of an Agilent impedance network analyzer with a calibration kit, a coaxial cable, and the dielectric probe included in the HP 85070 dielectric kit. The impedance analyzer can make measurements over the frequency range 1 to 3 GHz. The impedance analyzer was connected to a computer, which used with software, controlled the impedance analyzer and collected measured data. A probe calibration kit, which included a short circuit, an open circuit (air), and a known load (pure water at 25 C) was used to calibrate the testing probe. The testing probe was calibrated before each set of measurement, WANG et al. (2003). Samples of cooked rice, macaroni, chicken, beef, carrot, beet and potato with approximately 50 grams were used to perform the dielectric property measurements. The rice, macaroni, chicken and beef were cooked, and the vegetables were kept in natura. The foods were ground to obtain a homogeneous mass in order to get a better contact with the dielectric probe. Rum glass was used to put the sample. A domestic microwave oven was used to heat the samples. A thermocouple was used to measure the sample temperature as soon as the sample was removed from the microwave oven. Firstly the temperature and complex permittivity of the sample was measured at ambient temperature. Then, the sample was heated on microwave oven during 10 seconds. The sample was removed from microwave oven and it was measured its temperature and complex permittivity. This procedure was repeated 8 times. After that, the sample was heated during 20 seconds, removed from microwave oven, and was measured the temperature and complex permittivity. This procedure was repeated 4 times. For each sample was performed this procedure. The experimental apparatus can be seen in figure 1. 3

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

Thermocouple

Microwave oven

Probe Sample Network Analyzer Computer

Fig. 1. Experimental Apparatus

3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Figures 2 to 9 show the dielectric constant () and the relaxation constant () of water to verify the correct calibration, and some studied foods (rice, macaroni, chicken and beef) in function of frequency and temperature. The dielectric constant and relaxation constant of water was as expected. Its dielectric constant kept approximately constant with the frequency increase for each temperature, with a small decrease in the frequency of approximately 2 GHz, and decreased with the increase of temperature, proving that the ability of the water to transmit and reflect the electromagnetic energy will always exist (see figure2). The relaxation constant of water increased with the frequency, verifying that conform the applied frequency, the heat ability of water is better, and with temperature increase, decreased slightly, evidencing that the ability of absorbing electromagnetic energy is almost the same (see figure 3). The dielectric and relaxation constants of all foods were compared with that of water at ambient temperature. The rice dielectric constant was approximately twice smaller than of the water, verifying that the rice ability of transmitting and reflecting electromagnetic energy is twice smaller than that of water. Its behavior was similar to water, decreased slightly with the frequency increase and decreased with the temperature increase (see figure 4). The rice relaxation constant behavior was different of the water, decreased with the frequency increase until approximately 2,2 GHz, and after that kept constant, but decreased either with temperature increase, showing a better ability to heat than the water at low temperatures (see figure 5).

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

Water
100 80 60

'
40 20 0

1,4

1,8

1,0

2,2

2,6

frequency (GHz)

20C

59C

63C

80C

95C

Fig. 2. Water dielectric constant

Water
50

40

30

"
20

10

1,0

1,4

1,8

frequency (GHz)

2,2

20C

59C

63C

80C

Fig. 3. Water relaxation constant

2,6

95C

3,0

3,0

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

Rice
100

80

60

'
40

20

0
1.4 1.8 1.0 2.2 2.6

e' water 20C

frequency (GHz) e' rice 46C e' rice 57C

Fig. 4. Rice dielectric constant

e' rice 99C

Rice
50

40

30

"
20

10

1.8

1.0

1.4

frequency (GHz)

2.2

2.6

e'' water 20C

e'' rice 46C

e'' rice 57C

e'' rice 99C

Fig. 5. Rice relaxation constant

The macaroni behavior was quite similar to the rice. Its dielectric constant, kept approximately constant with frequency increase, and decreased with temperature increase, showing that has a ability to transmit and reflect electromagnetic a little better than the rice (see figure 6). Its ability to heat is quite similar to the rice, seen at the relaxation constant (see figure 7). 6

3.0

3.0

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

Macaroni
100

80

60

'
40

20

2.6

1.0

1.8

1.4

frequency (GHz) e' water 20c

e' macaroni 35C
e' macaroni 98C

Fig. 6. Macaroni dielectric constant

The behavior of chicken and beef is quite similar, verifying that the beef ability of transmit and reflect electromagnetic energy is quite similar to the macaroni (see figure 8). And the beef ability to heat is a little bigger than the rice (see figure 9). The behavior of the chicken is quite similar to the beef (see figure 10 e 11). In case to heat on a microwave oven all these components together in a ready meal, the first to heat would be the beef, second chicken, third rice and fourth macaroni.

Macaroni
50

40

30

"
20

10

2.2

1.0

1.4

e' water 20C

1.8

frequency (GHz)
e' macaroni 35C
e' macaroni 98C

Fig. 7. Macaroni relaxation constant

2.2

2.6

3.0

3.0

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

Beef
100

80

60

'
40

20

1.0

1.4

1.8

2.2

2.6

frequency (GHz) e' water 20C

e' beef 44C

e' beef 46C

e' beef 100C

Fig. 8. Beef dielectric constant

Beef
50

40

30

"
20

10

1.0

1.4

1.8

2.2

frequency (GHz) e'' water 20C

e'' beef 44C

e'' beef 46C

e'' beef 100C

Fig.9. Beef relaxation constant

3.0

2.6

3.0

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering

Chicken
100

80

60

'
40

20

1.0

1.4

e e' waterfrequncia (GHz)' chicken 42C 20C

1.8

e' chicken 66C

Fig. 10. Chicken dielectric constant

Chicken
50

40

30

"
20

10

1.0

1.4

1.8

2.2

2.2

e ' chicken 99C

2.6

2.6

e'' e'' waterfre quncia (GHz) chicken 42C 20C

e'' chicken 66C

e'' chicken 99C

Fig. 11. Chicken relaxation constant

4. CONCLUSIONS
The temperature dependence complex permittivity of the foods (rice, macaroni, chicken, beef, carrot, beet and potato) were obtained for the frequency range from 1 GHz to 3 GHz, including the microwaves oven frequency of 2,45 GHz. This analysis gives a better comprehension of the physical phenomena because, in practice, the material characteristics change during the heating process. The obtained results of the complex permittivity show that the water dielectric constant decreases slightly with the increase of the frequency and the relaxation constant increases with the increase of the frequency. 9

3.0

3.0

2nd Mercosur Congress on Chemical Engineering 4th Mercosur Congress on Process Systems Engineering
These behaviors are about the same for each food studied. The dielectric constant of the studied foods decreased with the temperature increase, but for each analyzed temperature, it kept slightly constant with the frequency increase. The measured dielectric constant was smaller when it compared with the water. The relaxation constant behavior of the studied foods was different from the one obtained for the water. It decreased with the increase of temperature and frequency until approximately 2,2 GHz. Above this frequency, it kept quite constant. The others studied foods obtained a similar behavior in complex permittivity. These results are in agreement with those found in the literature. The dielectric constants of rice, macaroni and chicken had a different behavior compared with water and the relaxation constants approached the same frequency and temperature behavior of the water, indicating that all foods studied contain water. Most of the obtained results were quite close to those found in the literature, showing the different abilities of the foods in absorbing electromagnetic energy in the microwaves range. These results serve as base for composition studies and making of plates for the industry of frozen foods. The knowledge of the complex permittivity in function of temperature of foods is very important to predict what component will heat first.

References
ANDRES, A et al. Drying kinetics of apple cylinders under combined hot air-microwave dehydration. Journal of Food Engineering 63, 2004, pp 71-78. BEKE, J. et al. Some fundamental attributes of corn and potato drying in microwave fields. Drying Technology97, vol. 15 (2), 1997, pp 539 554. LEONHARDT, G. F. and WESTPHALEN, D. L. Microwave drying of short-cut pasta. Proceedings of the Inter-American Drying Conference. Itu-SP, Brazil, 15-18 July 1997, pp 448-453. LIAO, X. et al. Dielectric properties of -D-glucose aqueous solutions at 2450 MHz. Food Research International 36, 2003, pp 485-490. RYYNNEN, S. The electromagnetic Properties of food Materials: A review of the Basic Principles. Journal of Food Engineering 26, 1995, pp. 409-429. RYYNNEN, S. and OHLSSON, T. Microwave Heating Uniformity of Ready Meals as Affected by Placement, Composition and Geometry. Journal of Food Science, vol. 61, N3, 1996, pp 620 624. SHARMA, G. P and PRASAD, S. Drying of garlic (Allium sativum) cloves by microwave-hot air combination. Journal of Food Engineering 50, 2001, pp 99-105. VAN DER VEEN, M.E. et al. On potential of uneven heating in heterogeneous food media with dielectric heating. Journal of Food Engineering 63, 2004, pp 403-412. WANG, S. et al. Dielectric Properties of Fruits and Insect Pests as related to Radio Frequency and Microwave Treatments. Biosystems Engineering 85 (2), 2003, pp 201-212 WANG, Y. et al. Dielectric Properties of foods relevant to RF and microwave pasteurization and sterilization. Journal of Food Engineering 57, 2003, pp 257-268.

Acknowledgments
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Brazilian institutions UFRN and CNPq for their financial support.

10