Effective permittivity of random composite media: A comparative study

In the present study, experimental data for effective permittivity of amorphous, polycrystalline thick films, and ceramic form of samples, taken from the literature, have been chosen for their comparison with those yielded by different mixture equations. In order to test the acceptability of dielectric mixture equations for high volume fractions of the inclusion material in the mixture, eleven such equations have been chosen. It is found that equations given by Cuming, Maxwell–Wagner, Webmann, Skipetrov and modified Cule–Torquato show their coherence and minimal deviation from the experimental results of permittivity for all the chosen test materials almost over the entire measurement range of volume fractions. It is further found that Maxwell–Wagner, Webmann, and Skipetrov equations yielded equivalent results and consequently they have been combined together and reckoned as a single equation named MWWS. The study revealed that the Cuming equation had the highest degree of acceptability (errors <±1–5%) in all the cases.