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An American National Standard

Designation: D 2149 – 97

Standard Test Method for

Permittivity (Dielectric Constant) And Dissipation Factor Of
Solid Dielectrics At Frequencies To 10 MHz And
Temperatures To 500°C1
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 2149; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.

1. Scope material is the ratio of the capacitance between two conductors

1.1 This test method covers the determination of the relative when embedded in the material to the capacitance between the
permittivity (dielectric constant) and dissipation factor of solid same configuration of conductors in a vacuum (or air). The
dielectrics from 50 Hz to 10 MHz over a range of temperatures dissipation factor is the ratio of the resistive to capacitive
from −80 to 500°C.2,3 Two procedures are included as follows: currents in the dielectric. The product of the permittivity and
1.1.1 Procedure A—Using Micrometer Electrode. dissipation factor is the loss index.
1.1.2 Procedure B—Using Precision Capacitor. 4. Significance and Use
NOTE 1—In common usage the word “relative” is frequently dropped. 4.1 Permittivity and dissipation factor are sensitive to
1.2 This standard does not purport to address the safety changes in chemical composition, impurities, and homogene-
concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility ity. Measurement of these properties is, therefore, useful for
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and quality control and for determining the effect of environments
health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory such as moisture, heat, or radiation.
limitations prior to use.
5. Apparatus
2. Referenced Documents 5.1 Measuring Circuits—Suitable measuring circuits are
2.1 ASTM Standards: described in Test Methods D 150. For measurements from 50
D 150 Test Methods for AC Loss Characteristics and Per- Hz to 100 kHz a substitution method using a low-voltage
mittivity (Dielectric Constant) of Solid Electrical Insulat- capacitance bridge is recommended. For measurements at 1
ing Materials4 MHz and above, a resonant-circuit susceptance variation
D 1711 Terminology Relating to Electrical Insulation4 method is recommended. The Q of the circuit should be at least
E 197 Specification for Enclosures and Servicing Units for 200 except for very low loss materials, for which a Q of 500 or
Tests Above and Below Room Temperature5 higher is desirable.
5.2 Test Enclosure—Unless testing only at room tempera-
3. Terminology ture, it is necessary to adapt a Hartshorn-Ward type specimen
3.1 Definitions: holder to a temperature-controlled test enclosure. Where ap-
3.1.1 Permittivity and dissipation factor are fully defined in plicable, use the requirements for a grade A enclosure as in
Terminology D 1711. Briefly, the permittivity of an insulating Specification E 197. A suggested arrangement is shown in Fig.
1. This arrangement provides terminal connections away from
1
the temperature zone.
This test method is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee D-9 on 5.3 Specimen Holder—The suggested arrangement shown
Electrical and Electronic Insulating Materials and is the direct responsibility of
Subcommittee D09.12 on Electrical Tests. in Fig. 1 incorporates the following requirements:
Current edition approved Sept. 10, 1997. Published November 1997. Originally 5.3.1 The selection of the metals is of utmost importance.
published as D 2149 – 63 T. Last previous edition D 2149 – 96. The metal should have good thermal and electrical conductiv-
2
R. Bartnikas, Chapter 2, “Alternating-Current Loss and Permittivity Measure-
ments,” Engineering Dielectrics, Vol IIB, Electrical Properties of Solid Insulating
ity and yet be oxidation resistant and have sufficient strength to
Materials, Measurement Techniques, R. Bartnikas, Editor, ASTM STP 926, ASTM, maintain its mechanical dimensions after repeated heating.
Philadelphia, 1987. AISI Stainless No. 316 fulfills these requirements except for
3
R. Bartnikas, Chapter 1, “Dielectric Loss in Solids,” Engineering Dielectrics, the thermal conductivity. The time required for a specimen to
Vol IIA, Electrical Properties of Solid Insulating Materials: Molecular Structure and
Electrical Behavior, R. Bartnikas and R. M. Eichorn, Editors, ASTM STP 783, reach equilibrium in a holder made from this material is quite
ASTM Philadelphia, 1983.
4
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 10.01.
5
Discontinued, see 1980 Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Part 41.

Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.

1
 D 2149

FIG. 1 Suggested Specimen Holder

long. Precious metal alloys such as type B silver-magnesium- electrodes may be useful. Additional information on the
nickel have better overall properties but require special heat suitability of various electrode systems may be found in Test
treating. Methods D 150.
5.3.2 The insulators may be aluminum oxide, beryllium
oxide, or polytetrafluoroethylene. 7. Sampling
5.3.3 Use electrodes 50 mm in diameter and at least 5 mm 7.1 See ASTM standards for specific materials.
thick, with sharp corners. Maintain electrode parallellism to
within 0.01 mm. 8. Test Specimen
5.3.4 Select a length and cross-section for the lower tube so 8.1 Use a disk test specimen with a diameter of 40.006 0.01
that the temperature of each insulator does not exceed 100°C mm and a thickness of 2 to 3 mm. Finish the surfaces to 1.8 µm
when the oven is at 500°C. Select a length and crosssection for or better and maintain parallel surfaces to within 0.01 mm. The
the upper tube so that the drive nut can be touched with the samples should be free of bubbles and other defects.
operator’s fingers (keep the drive nut less than 60°C) when the
oven is at 500°C. 9. Standard Test Frequencies
5.3.5 Use a micrometer or dial gage with a precision of 9.1 Unless otherwise specified, make measurements at one
0.005 mm to determine electrode separation and to monitor or more of the following frequencies:
specimen expansion. 60 Hz 100 000 Hz
100 Hz 1 MHz
6. Electrodes 400 Hz 10 MHz
1000 Hz
6.1 Prior to measurement, apply conducting film or foil
electrodes to both flat surfaces of the specimen. (The specimen Common test frequencies are 60 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1 MHz.
thickness should be determined before applying electrodes.)
Silver paint, tin or tin-lead foil, or evaporated metal electrodes 10. Temperature Control
have ranges of usefulness. Evaporated metal electrodes are the 10.1 Take measurements at frequent temperature intervals
most suitable. When the specimen is porous sprayed-on metal (not to exceed 20°C), until the required temperature range has

2
 D 2149
been traversed. Reduce the temperature to the lowest required Ds 5 C t/Cs ~Di 2 Dv! (3)
test temperature and leave until equilibrium has been achieved.
Determine equilibrium by clamping a specimen between the where:
Co 5 capacitance of the specimen holder with the specimen
holder electrodes and balancing or peaking the measuring
out,
circuit until no change takes place between balances made 2
Ci 5 capacitance of the electrodes set at the average
min apart. After the required measurements have been made at
measured thickness of the specimen (Note 2),
the lowest test temperature increase the temperature at the rate Cv 5 equivalent geometric vacuum capacitance of the
of 2 6 0.5°C/min to the next test temperature. Follow this specimen,
procedure for achieving the test temperature until the required Ct 5 total capacitance at the unknown terminals of the
temperature range has been traversed. Take measurements at measuring circuit,
approximately the same test temperatures as the temperature is Di 5 dissipation factor of the measuring circuit as indicated
increasing and as the temperature is decreasing. Measurements by the measuring circuit when the specimen is be-
as temperature is being increased and decreased are necessary tween the electrodes, and
to guard against possible hysteresis in electrical properties due Do 5 dissipation factor of the measuring circuit as indicated
to such factors as moisture and chemical change. by the measuring circuit when the circuit has been
rebalanced with the specimen removed from the
11. Conditioning electrodes.
11.1 Prior to applying electrodes condition the specimens at
NOTE 2—If the secondary electrodes are quite thin and the maximum
23 6 1°C and 50 6 2 % relative humidity for a minimum of 40
thickness of the specimen is close to the average thickness, this setting can
h. Carry out room-temperature tests in the Standard Laboratory be considered the same as the micrometer reading when the specimen is
Atmosphere of 23 6 1°C and 50 6 2 % relative humidity. clamped between the electrodes.

12. Procedure A (Using Micrometer Electrode) 14.2 Procedure B—Calculate the capacitance of the speci-
men as follows:
12.1 Refer to Test Methods D 150. Center the specimen
between the electrodes and rotate the drive nut until the friction Cs 5 DC 1 C RT 2 CT 1 Cv (4)
is felt to suddenly decrease. Read this micrometer setting and where:
check it against the setting at which the friction first increases CRT 5 capacitance of the precision capacitor at room
on increasing the electrode spacing. Balance or peak the temperature when the measuring circuit is bal-
measuring circuit. Open the electrodes and remove the speci- anced, and
men. Then restore the balance of the measuring apparatus CT 5 capacitance of the precision capacitor at a tempera-
without changing its capacitance setting by reducing the ture test point when the measuring circuit is bal-
spacing between the electrodes and adjusting the measuring anced.
circuit to balance the loss component. Note the new dissipation 14.3 Calculate the dissipation factor as in Procedure A (Eq
factor and micrometer setting, etc. 3).
12.2 At each test temperature and each required frequency
determine the capacitance and dissipation factor of each 15. Lead Length Correction
specimen. 15.1 In both Procedures A and B keep the length of the leads
to a minimum between the measuring circuit and the specimen
13. Procedure B (Using Precision Capacitor)
holder. The DC from Procedure A will be correct, but the
13.1 Procedure B can be used when the frequency can be dissipation factors as seen by the measuring instrument and the
kept constant or when the measuring circuit, as is the case with change from DC as in Procedure B will be in error if the leads
the bridges, is stable with frequency changes. In this procedure are long. The amount of error will depend on the frequency,
determine the DC at room temperature for each frequency lead length, and the capacitance of the specimen. To correct for
required as in Procedure A. Then center and clamp the the lead error it is necessary to calibrate the measuring circuit
specimen between the electrodes and change the temperature to by calibrating the specimen holder at low frequency and using
the first temperature, taking measurements at each required its capacitance ( CH) to calibrate the measuring circuit at higher
frequency to determine the change in capacitance of the frequencies. A typical curve is shown in Fig. 2. This type of
specimen. curve at the measuring frequency can be used to correct for
13.2 Procedure B requires a variable-precision capacitor lead errors. The change in capacitance in Procedure B can be
with a precision of 0.01 pf in parallel with the specimen holder directly corrected by the curve Cm versus CH. The dissipation
to determine the change in specimen capacitance with tempera- factors from both Procedures A and B can be corrected by the
ture and frequency. following expression if the dissipation factor of the specimen is
less than 0.10:
14. Calculation
Ds 5 ~C t/Cs!~Dt 2 Do!~C H/Cm!2 (5)
14.1 Procedure A—Calculate the capacitance, Cs, and dis-
sipation factor, Ds, of the specimen as follows: where:
Cs 5 C o 2 C t 1 C v (1) CH 5 capacitance of the specimen holder, and
Cm 5 capacitance indicated by the measuring circuit.
Cs 5 DC 1 C v (2)

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 D 2149

FIG. 2 Typical Calibration of Measuring Circuit

If CH/Cm is not less than 0.99, no correction for lead length 16.1.6 Permittivity and dissipation factor at each tempera-
is required. ture and frequency reported.
16. Report 17. Precision and Bias
16.1 Report the following: 17.1 Precision—The precision of this test method has not
16.1.1 Description of the specimen, including name, grade, been determined.
color, and manufacturer, 17.2 Bias—The bias of this test method has not been
16.1.2 Dimensions of test specimen, determined.
16.1.3 Conditioning of test specimen and type of secondary
electrodes, 18. Keywords
16.1.4 Measuring circuit and procedure, 18.1 dielectric constant; dissipation factor; micrometer elec-
16.1.5 Test voltage, and trode; permittivity; precision capacitor; relative permittivity

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