a
affect the ability to bond or coat metal surfaces, the handheld FTIR sys- tem, with grazing angle sampling interface, is used to measure low-level contaminants on the surface of metals. The 82° grazing angle interface provides a longer pathlength over the surface of the reflective metal substrate and affords detection of the contaminants in the ng/cm2
range
(Figure 5). This capability allows the effectiveness of the cleaning process to be monitored and make a final determination when a metal surface is considered uncontaminated.
Conclusion Portable instrumentation for use in out-of-lab applications is one of the
b
growing trends in analytical chemistry. In the case of FTIR, this is motivated by the need for more rapid answers about the identity and quality of raw materials and finished products, to detect and measure changes in the per- formance of materials in use, and to analyze objects that are impractical to analyze in a lab. Handheld FTIR makes the measurements discussed in this article more practical and useful.
In the past, these material analysis applications were performed in a lab and required excising a piece of the object in question. With the advent of hand- held FTIR, these measurements can now be done in situ without removing a sample, thereby providing true, nondestructive analysis, regardless of the shape, location, or orientation of the object in question.
Figure 4 – The thickness and uniformity of coatings on metal surfaces are critical to the performance of the final coated product. The hand- held FTIR system, equipped with the spherical germanium ATR, mea- sures the thickness of an aliphatic coating on metal (a) with a limit of detection of approximately 0.05 µm. The thickness of an anodization layer on aluminum is measured to 0.05 µm (b) using the FTIR system equipped with the grazing angle sample interface.
frequently detrimental to the production process and the performance of the final commercial product. In particular, silicone and hydrocarbon oil contamination is prevalent in manufacturing environments, and cleaning processes are employed to remove these contaminants. Since the surface coverage of contaminants can be very low, yet drastically
In addition to FTIR and other portable optical spectrometers, technologies such as GC/MS, HPLC, and GC are now available in mobile configurations. This trend will continue to grow as new applications continue to drive the need for out-of-lab analysis.
References 1. Rein, A. FTIR Analysis Provides Rapid QA/QC and Authentication of Food
Ingredients Prior to Processing; Agilent Technologies, Inc., Publ. 5991- 1246EN, Oct 1, 2012.
2. Seelenbinder, J.; Higgins, F. Test Method for Low Level Detection of Bio- diesel in Diesel Using the Agilent 5500t FTIR Spectrometer; Agilent Tech- nologies, Inc., Publ. 5990-7804EN, May 1, 2011.
3. Rein, A.; Higgins, F. et al. Handheld FTIR Analysis for the Conservation and Restoration of Fine Art and Historical Objects; Agilent Technologies, Inc., Publ. 5990-8739EN, July 26, 2011.
4. Rein, A.; Higgins, F. At Site Rock and Mineral Analysis Measurement Using a Handheld Agilent FTIR Analyzer; Agilent Technologies, Inc., Publ. 5990-7794EN, May 1, 2011.
5. Richard, S.; Leung, P.T. Identification and Evaluation of Coatings Using Handheld FTIR; Agilent Technologies, Inc., Publ. 5990-8075EN, May 1, 2011.
Figure 5 – Silicone and hydrocarbon oils are pervasive, detrimental contaminants affecting bonding, painting, and coating processes. The 4100 ExoScan FTIR, equipped with the grazing angle sample interface, is used to measure silicone oil on metals with limits of detection in the ng/cm2
range.
Alan J. Rein, Ph.D., is Market Development and Strategy Manager, Mobile FTIR, and John Seelenbinder, Ph.D., is Mobile FTIR Marketing Manager, Agilent Technologies, Mobile Measurement, Chemical Analysis Group, 14 Commerce Dr., Danbury, CT 06810, U.S.A.; tel.: 201-909-8824; e-mail: alan_
rein@agilent.com. The authors wish to acknowledge Dr. Steve Donahue and Mr. Frank Higgins of Agilent Technologies for their contributions to this article.
AMERICAN LABORATORY • 19 • JUNE/JULY 2013
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