Experimental validation of the impedance boundary condition and a review of its limitations

The impedance boundary condition, which is an approximate boundary condition applicable at the surfaces of materials experiencing pronounced skin effect, is discussed. Its use allows the elimination of bodies made of such materials from the field solution region at great savings in cost. However, the boundary condition is an approximation that is applicable only under certain limited conditions and is justified from Maxwell´s equations. The author validates the impedance boundary condition using a laboratory experiment and reviews its limitations so that its proper use can be established