Microwave determination related to a material such as chloride found in a cement based composition

A method involving a predetermined material that may be in a sample which includes cement, comprising:

• providing model information;
• sending a transmit signal having a desired frequency to the cement sample;
• receiving a return signal from the cement sample;
• and
• determining information related to said predetermined material in the cement sample using at least said return signal and said model information;
• wherein said model information is generated before conducting said sending and receiving steps using at least the following:
• allowing penetration of predetermined material into at least a first cement specimen after the first cement specimen has been cured and obtaining data related to dielectric property characteristics associated with the cured first cement specimen.

An apparatus for making determinations related to a predetermined material in a cement sample, comprising:

• a signal generating subsystem for outputting microwave signals;
• a coupler subsystem for transmitting microwave signals received from said signal generating subsystem and for receiving return signals from the cement sample;
• and
• an analyzing subsystem in communication with said coupler subsystem that determines information related to the presence of said predetermined material in the cement sample, said analyzing subsystem including at least one memory that stores model information related to correlating dielectric property information and content of said predetermined material in cement, said model information being based on a number of cured cement specimens including cured first and second cement specimens, with the cured first and second cement specimens having been subject to predetermined material for first and second time periods, respectively.