Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) analysis is being employed to dramatically improve the speed and effectiveness with which freight containers are being inspected for dangerous gasses. Every year, millions of these freight containers arrive in international ports; about 20% of these containers possess hazardous levels of vapors and gases. Utilizing FTIR analysis, a Dutch firm of […]
FTIR Spectroscopy Blog Posts
Beach Party in The Lab??
Two of our recent FTIR testing projects: The labels were peeling from the bottles shown in the picture above. The customer wanted to know the cause of the poor adhesion to the bottles. The ideal materials testing method for failure analysis is FTIR testing. Several […]
FTIR Analysis Identifies What Caused Valve Failure During Shipping
Case Study: How FTIR Failure Analysis Uncovered the Cause of Valve Failure During Shipping All product manufacturers have rigorous quality control processes that aim to ensure all products are properly functioning before sending them off to customers. However, some quality issues may not present themselves until they’re exposed to different conditions. At least, that’s what […]
Why Plastic Parts Occasionally Fail & How FTIR Analysis Can Help
When manufactured plastic parts fail, quickly determining the cause is vital for minimizing production downtime and protecting your company’s bottom line. But what causes plastic parts to fail in the first place? And how can you determine the cause and prevent it from happening again? The truth is that plastic parts fail for a myriad […]
Combining Chemical Testing Techniques to Battle Counterfeit Drugs
Microscopy/Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (SEM/EDS) are often paired together in chemical testing. FTIR analysis is best used in testing organic materials and SEM/EDS primarily examines inorganic materials. Now, scientists are exploring their combined use in the world of counterfeit medicine. Counterfeit drug manufacturers design the drugs to look identical to the real thing. These drugs are often […]
Adulterating Products for Economic Gain
A growing problem within organizations in countries like China is the adulteration of products for economic gain. The FDA’s working definition of Economically Motivated Adulteration (EMA) as the “fraudulent, intentional substitution or addition of a substance in a product for the purpose of increasing the apparent value of the product or reducing the cost of […]
FTIR Testing: Pinpointing Sources of Food Contaminants
According to the National Institute of Health, 48 million people in the U.S. get sick from contaminated food each year. Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of food borne illness. (Source: NIH) Microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts and molds, can cause food spoilage and deterioration during food production. The American Meat Institute conducted research […]
FTIR Testing Identifies Unknown Materials
One of the inventors of the early telegraph, Dr. David Alter, a nearly forgotten Pennsylvanian, found a fragment of a great mass of very brilliant glass from a glass house, which had been destroyed in the great Pittsburgh Fire of 1845. From this, he made a prism through which he went on to discover Spectrum […]
FTIR Analysis for Problem Solving
Sometimes chemical reactions are happening in places you wouldn’t expect, causing problems that weren’t anticipated. Researchers at North Carolina State University have discovered how fat, oil and grease (FOG) can create hardened deposits in sewer pipes, contributing to overflows. These overflows, in turn, may cause environmental and public safety issues, leading to costly repairs and […]
FTIR Test Sheds Light on How Plants Extract Oxygen From Water
Most of us were exposed to the concept of photosynthesis in our early education. As adults, it’s unlikely that we think much about how the plants that surround us supply us with oxygen. But, if you’re a scientist, you may be intrigued by the complex process plants use to harness the sun’s energy. Recently, Fourier […]
