Dielectric measurements were carried out for suspensions of D-354 anion-exchange beads dispersed in electrolyte solutions at different concentrations, and distinct Maxwell-Wagner dielectric relaxations were observed around 10(6) Hz. Through fitting the experimental data we obtained the dielectric parameters of the suspensions, and then we calculated the phase parameters from the dielectric parameters and the measured volume fractions by Hanai's method. In light of the present understanding of the interfacial properties, and with the information obtained from the phase parameters, we satisfactorily interpreted the concentration dependences of the dielectric parameters. It is concluded that Hanai's method is an effective tool for obtaining the properties of dispersed particles; the properties of the electrical double layer, which are mainly decided by the properties of the electrolyte solution, predict the dielectric behavior of suspensions with conducting particles. The dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS), based on the M-W mechanism, is also a very sensitive tool for probing the properties of the liquid/solid interface. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.