Traceable dielectric measurements by resonance methods in the frequency range 1-30 MHz

Resonance substitution techniques, such as the Hartshom-Ward method provide an accurate measurement method for the determination of the dielectric properties of materials. They suffer from the disadvantage that their results depend on the accurate determination of the Q factor of a resonant circuit: a parameter that is not readily traced to national standards of impedance. The paper outlines measurements on a standard inductor and shows that modern four-terminal measurement techniques, when used with a suitable resonance adaptor, can provide more consistent values of Q than could be obtained with a Q-meter. The new four-terminal technique is shown to provide results consistent with earlier standard methods and may thus be suitable for wider application.