Characterization of free falling drops inside a microwave cavity

Microwave Internal Gelation (MIG) is a chemical process proposed for the production of nuclear particle fuel. The reaction is triggered by a temperature increase by the means of microwave heating. Due to the short residence time of a solution droplet in the cavity a detailed knowledge of the interaction between microwaves and chemical solution (shaped in small drops) is required. This paper describes a new procedure that enables the measurement of dielectric properties of aqueous droplets that freely fall through a microwave cavity. These measurements provide the information to determine the optimal values of the parameters (such as frequency and power) that dictate the heating of a material under microwaves.