FIELD: checking and controlling composition and properties of materials in the course of their manufacture and in service.
SUBSTANCE: proposed microwave method for metering dielectric constant and thickness of metal insulating coatings includes building electromagnetic field within metal-backing insulating material under check followed by recording of changes in converter parameters characterizing high-frequency field. Cophasal aperture with circular directivity pattern in azimuth is used for series excitation of following slow surface waves: two E-waves at different but close oscillator wavelengths λE1, λE2, meeting following condition: 
Adjacent points of minimum of slow surface wave field are found by minimum of field strength, and wavelengths λ3C1, λ3C2 above insulating coating are calculated as double distance between two adjacent minima of slow surface wave field; then decay coefficients of field strength are calculated for each wave along direction of their propagation using mathematical dependencies given in description of invention. After that decay coefficient of field along Z axis is averaged, then decay value of slow surface wave field along insulating coating is used to find insulating coating conductivity λc, whereupon real and imaginary parts of complex dielectric constant, as well as insulating coating thickness are calculated from formulas given in description of invention.
EFFECT: enhanced thickness measurement accuracy, simplified design of receiver dispensing with matching device.
1 cl, 2 dwg
