Microwave Heating

In general, microwaves interact with materials in three ways:

1. Reflective materials such as metals do not heat (i.e. they do not absorb energy, but rather reflect the energy).
2. Transparent materials such as most liquids other than water do not heat or reflect. Microwaves pass right through them and are only absorbed to a small extent.
3. Absorptive materials such as water absorb microwaves and are heated.

The ease, or degree by which a particular material, or molecule, or part of a molecule will absorb microwave energy is determined largely by the dielectric properties of the material. Microwaves do not heat, therefore, by conduction or convection, but rather by dielectric loss. This means that microwaves create heat when a material stops or slows the radiation, causing it to deposit some of its energy, which is subsequently dissipated as heat.

Microwaves heat materials by using their inherent properties of high frequency oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Anything that is put into this field will be affected if it can be electrically or magnetically polarized at the frequency of these oscillating waves. Generally speaking, therefore, polar molecules, with positively and negatively charged ends, such as water, will attempt to align themselves with the field, essentially trying to flip-flop each time the field polarity changes with each oscillation cycle. If the frequency of the field is too high, inertia stops the molecules from achieving any significant rotation before the field reverses. If the frequency is too low, all of the molecules will be polarized uniformly so that no net random motion occurs. When the frequency is in the proper range, however, as with microwaves, the molecules will be almost, but not quite able to keep in phase with the field switching. In this case, random motion results as the molecules jostle while trying to follow the field. This random motion therefore creates heat through friction.

While this is a simplified description of the actual physics of microwave interactions with materials, it is important to understand that every material will absorb microwave energy to a different extent. In fact, the individual parts of every material will absorb the energy differently. It is this ability to selectively deposit microwave energy into different parts of a complicated chemical system that is at the core of Radient's extraction technology. Because microwaves interact directly with the object being heated, and because this interaction is related to both the chemical and dielectric properties of the object, it is possible to apply heat (or more precisely, energy) in ways that are not achievable by any other means.

Also, the ability to heat only targeted portions of a material and to then release those portions into a relatively cold (20°C to 30°C) solvent allows Radient's extraction process to consume significantly less energy than traditional extraction processes and it requires a significantly smaller volume of solvent as well. This translates into smaller solvent losses.

By clearly understanding these principles and by working with them, Radient has been able to develop entirely novel biological and chemical effects. More importantly, means for controlling these novel effects have been developed so that their value will be protected as intellectual property for commercial use.