Dielectric and magnetic properties of NiFe2O4 at 2.45 GHz and heating capacity for potential uses under microwaves

This paper presents the dielectric and magnetic properties, measured at 2.45 GHz, of a new nickel ferrite, NiFe2O4, synthetized by plasma technology. These properties were measured by the small perturbation method in a resonant cavity, from 293 to 513 K. Using these values, the adiabatic heating of nanoparticles of NiFe2O4 under microwave irradiation was also modeled. The wave propagation equation (Maxwell's equation) coupled to the heat transfer in the solid was numerically solved. The influence of parameters such as the bed volume, its porosity, the microwave incident power or the microwave system geometry is discussed. This study demonstrates that NiFe2O4 nanoparticles can be rapidly heated up to at least 513 K under microwaves and can probably achieve higher temperatures according to the thermal insulation. The magnetic contribution to heating overcomes the dielectric one in the explored temperature range. Very efficient energy yield ( > 90%) can then be achieved when the magnetic field position is centered over the bed. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved,