To understand the interactions of microwaves with dielectric materials and their conversion to thermal energy in aqueous systems, the effect of ionic concentration has been studied. Aqueous solutions of inorganic ions were exposed to microwaves (2.45GHz) in a modified oven under identical conditions. Difference in solution temperatures with reference to pure (deionized) water was monitored in each case. A significant decrease in the temperature was observed with an increase in the quantity of ions. Experiments were repeated with several inorganic ions varying in size and charge. The information can be helpful in understanding the role of ions during dielectric heating

The goal of this work was the instant identification of particulate geological materials by comparison with spectral libraries stored in a computer. The libraries consisted of representative spectra from different groups of powdered samples. Special attention was paid to identification of particles with very similar chemical composition, such as certain iron ores. Chemical speciation analysis was also carried out. Iron and iron oxides were shown to be reliably identified using statistical correlation methods. Both linear and rank correlations were applied. Both correlation methods yielded probabilities of correct identification close to unity for almost all studied samples. This technique should have applications in the metallurgical, mining, and semiconductor industries, and in medical, environmental and forensic sciences.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is a simple, rapid, and sensitive analytical technique that has been employed in a number of scientific disciplines (e.g., chemistry, physics, geology, engineering, material science, polymer science, environmental science, and metallurgy) for almost two decades. LIBS became vastly popular in industry, especially in steel, automobile, and aircraft manufacturing due to the availability of portable instruments and rapid analysis. As the technique can be employed for simultaneously analyzing both light and heavy elements, LIBS has attracted global attention for its food analysis capabilities to characterize micronutrients, essential constituents, and toxicants present in food items. No other technique provides such comprehensive analytical data in a short period of time without any substantial sample treatment. This paper reviews applications of LIBS for food analysis in recent years and discusses its potential to advance the characterization of components in food.