Advanced Composites GroupFourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy

Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer

Our Agilent Technologies 4100 and 4500 FT-IR systems makes chemical analysis of a wide range of materials possible. The testing procedure is quick and non-destructive to the sample.

The instrument can be run in numerous modes: diffuse or specular reflectance, grazing angle, diamond or germanium Attenuated Total Reflectance and transmittance. By varying the mode used analysis depth can be controlled from just a few microns up to several hundred microns. Further information about capablities of the FTIR 4100 absorption system and the FTIR 4500 transmission system can be dowloaded via the links.

The image below shows typical results obtained from an analysis of heat treated glass fibres, some which were then regenerated with alkaline solutions. Changes in chemical bonds present in the samples due to the alkali treatments are clearly observed in the results. FT-IR is a useful technique also because it can handle samples with awkward shape or geometry, such as the fibre bundles used in this analysis.

IR spectra of glass fibres heat treated and subsequently treated with alkaline solutions

 

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Fracture surface of a glass fibre obtained using scanning electron microscopy
No. 1 2014 most downloaded original research paper from Composites Part A