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FT-IR Analysis

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) is part of the molecular spectroscopy capabilities at Impact Analytical. It is a popular tool used to determine the functional groups present in samples from the infrared absorbance spectra. The analysis is used to characterize products as well as unknown materials.

This type of instrument has the capacity to analyze a variety of sample types, such as solids, gels, liquids, or emulsions. The most popular analysis technique is a diamond attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory, which can be used for every sample type. The FT-IR analysis can be used for qualitative and/or quantitative analysis of materials. Samples can also be analyzed in KBr pellets, Mull Cells, and liquid cells. A wide variety of electronic reference libraries are available to assist in the identification of unknown materials and/or confirm the chemical composition of a material.   

Examples

  • Because IR absorption is dependent upon a dipole moment change during each molecular vibration and/or molecular rotation, chemical functional group analysis, as well as molecular characterization and identification, is possible. Researchers involved in synthesis use this instrument frequently to determine if desired functional groups are present in compounds they have synthesized.

 

  • The system includes a polymers and additives library. A customer desiring identification of a polymer used to mold a finished product submitted a sample for unknown identification. A small amount of the polymer was excised from the article and dissolved in a solvent. A thin film of the polymer was cast, and its infrared spectrum was measured. By searching the library, a match was found for the spectrum, thereby identifying the additive.

Related Case Studies

Industry: Plastics
Problem: Unknown white residue was contaminating the surface of black molded plastic parts
Solution: Contaminant ID – read full case study

Industry: Food Packaging
Problem: Manufacturer of multi-layer films for food packaging needed to measure the thickness of layers for QC, they also wanted measurement and identification of the layers used to construct competitor’s products.
Solution: Impact used a combination of polarized light microscopy and infra red microscopy to photograph, measure, and identify the separate layers of the film in cross section.

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