Dielectric characterization of common edible oils in the higher microwave frequencies using cavity perturbation

Dielectric constants and loss tangents of four common edible oils – mustard oil, olive oil, sesame oil and canola oil are measured in the 9–15 GHz range using cavity perturbation. Accuracy of the measurement is enhanced by determining the sample volume through mass and density measurements, instead of dimensional measurements. Results show that the dielectric properties vary with oil type at a given frequency and also with frequency for a given oil. In addition, the impact of repeated heating of the oils to the smoke point is also studied, which demonstrates changes in the dielectric properties with smoking, for all the oils under consideration.