We have established a small private partnership, Microwave Properties North (MPN) (registered in Ontario) to continue to make available to customers the dielectric properties measurement system which we started developing in 1989 at Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd, Chalk River Labs . This spin-off was the result of AECL deciding to concentrate on the nuclear business - with the resulting elimination of Physics Division. There was no home left for our internationally recognized dielectric properties work! Thus we purchased the equipment from AECL and are now in the business of measuring dielectric properties, using our previously-developed, fully automated, high temperature complex dielectric constant measurement system.

Our past customers include many groups working at the forefront of developing innovative microwave-based industrial processes or new materials for microwave system applications, such as MacMillan Bloedel Ltd., Coastal Corp., Dow-Corning, Kimberly Clark, SCHOTT Glas, INTEVEP, Geological Survey of Canada, Ceradyne, Cameco Corp., Sherrit Inc., El Dorado Engineering, Univ of Florida Mat. Eng. Deptartment.

Here is a bit of information about our system :

We have two separate cavity systems ( perturbation technique ), one 50 to 1000 MHz, the other 400 to 3000MHz. Our sample shape and size is a right cylinder, either ~5.5 mm diameter and ~ 30 mm long (for the low frequency cavity ) , or ~3.5 mm diameter and ~ 12 mm long for the high frequency. We have punches and dies for pressing materials to our sample size or we can pack materials into our sample holder ( which is high purity amorphous silica). We can also diamond core-drill and /or hone samples to the required shape. We can run the system under many possible cover gases, up to 5 atmospheres pressure.

The kinds of questions that need to be discussed before doing measurements for a customer are:

1. What temperature range is required ?
2. What frequency range is of prime interest ?
3. What cover gas is required ?
4. What is the physical state of the samples, and how can they be prepared to fit into our sample holders ?
5. What is the chemical reactivity of the sample to water, solvents , and our sample holder ?
6. What temperature versus time curve is desired - i.e. does heating rate matter ?
7. How many samples are to be measured ?

We like to be in regular communication with a client during the course of the measurements. We have found it beneficial to both parties to send preliminary results to the client and to jointly discuss and interpret them immediately. Our usual maximum term of confidentiality is 5 years.

Our measurement cost depends on the sample prep time , the cover gas , the details of the temperature versus time curve required, the number of samples, and how formal you wish the final report to be. Sample preparation is usually a significant part of the whole measurement process, so it needs to be discussed in some detail before costing measurements. There is usually a one-time initial set-up charge to set up the system for the individual requirements of each client.

Thank you for your interest in our services.