Highly conductive microwave susceptors
View Patent ↗Microwaveable packages having highly conductive susceptors and methods for using same are provided. In a general embodiment, the microwaveable packages include a container defining an interior and having a microwave shielding material surrounding the interior. At least a portion of the microwave shielding material is a highly conductive susceptor. The highly conductive susceptor may include a standard microwave susceptor layer and a layer including a substrate having a source of mobile charges. Methods for increasing a surface heating of a food product are also provided and include, in a general embodiment, providing a food product in an interior of a container, which has a microwave shielding material surrounding the interior, and heating the food product in the container in a microwave oven for a predetermined amount of time.
1. A microwaveable package comprising:
a container defining an interior and comprising a microwave shielding material surrounding the interior, wherein at least a portion of the microwave shielding material is a conductive susceptor comprising an electrical resistance that is below about 100 Ω, and the conductive susceptor comprises a standard microwave susceptor layer and a shielding layer comprising a substrate including a source of mobile charges, wherein the shielding layer is at least substantially metal free.
2. The microwaveable package of claim 1 , wherein the conductive susceptor comprises an electrical resistance from about 10 Ω to about 80 Ω.
3. The microwaveable package of claim 1 , wherein the microwave shielding material is entirely comprised of the conductive susceptor.
4. The microwaveable package of claim 1 , wherein a second portion of the microwave shielding material is a pure microwave shield.
5. The microwaveable package of claim 4 , wherein the pure microwave shield is a metal layer.
6. The microwaveable package of claim 1 , wherein the conductive susceptor comprises a second standard microwave susceptor layer.
7. The microwaveable package of claim 1 , wherein the substrate has a thickness from about 0.05 mm to about 3.0 mm.
8. The microwaveable package of claim 1 , wherein the source of mobile charges is a salt water solution having a concentration from about 10% to about 30% by weight.
9. A method for increasing a surface heating of a food product, the method comprising the steps of:
providing a food product in an interior of a container, the container comprising a microwave shielding material surrounding the interior, wherein at least a portion of the microwave shielding material is a conductive susceptor comprising an electrical resistance that is below about 100 Ω, the conductive susceptor comprises a standard susceptor layer and a shielding layer comprising a substrate including a source of mobile charges, wherein the shielding layer is at least substantially metal free; and
heating the food product in the container in a microwave oven for a predetermined amount of time.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the predetermined amount of time is between about 30 seconds to about 4 minutes.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the microwave shielding material is entirely comprised of the conductive susceptor.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein a second portion of the microwave shielding material is a pure microwave shield.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the pure microwave shield is a metal layer.
14. The method of claim 9 , wherein the substrate has a thickness from about 0.05 mm to about 3.0 mm.
15. The method of claim 9 , wherein the source of mobile charges is a salt water solution that has a concentration of about 25% by weight.
16. The method of claim 9 wherein the conductive susceptor further comprises a second standard microwave susceptor layer located between the first standard microwave susceptor layer and the shielding layer.