Professional Documents
Culture Documents
ATR Theory
ATR Theory
Outline
Introduction to ATR technology
Evanescent Waves
Crystal Composition Data Collection Advantages & Disadvantages Sample Analysis Challenges Future Applications Conclusion
Attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy is a versatile and powerful technique for infrared sampling
Evanescent Waves
The infrared radiation interacts with the sample through a series of standing waves, called evanescent waves An evanescent wave is a penetrating electromagnetic field whose intensity quickly decays as it moves away from its source
When collecting ATR data, samples are run as % Reflectance or log (1/R)
The ATR crystal absorbs energy at lower energy levels If the sample does not have good contact with the crystal, the data will not be accurate Most ATR crystals have pH limitations
Crystal Composition
Crystals are typically made of:
Zinc Selenide (ZnSe)
Germanium (Ge)
Zinc Sulfide (ZnS) Silicon (Si)
Diamond
AMTIR: Germanium, Arsenic, Selenium (GeAsSe)
Solid analysis
ATR is an excellent technique for measuring the composition of solids Some examples of solids are films, fabrics, paper, hard polymer sheets, glass, rubber ATR is an ideal technique for measuring dark colored materials which often absorb too much energy to be measured by IR transmission
Liquid Analysis
Liquid Analysis
ATR can be used to analyze non-aqueous solutions such a lubricants, oils, paints, glues, solvents, inks and dyes Gels and pastes can also be analyzed
Powder Analysis
Powders are easier to run by ATR than by IR transmission, because little or no preparation is required
This category includes pure samples and mixtures that are available in powdered from
Some examples of pure samples and mixtures are pharmaceuticals and pigments
Challenges
Future Applications
Conclusion
Attenuated Total Reflectance is an easy-to-use, fast, and versatile technique for infrared sampling
Solids, pastes, gels, liquids and powders can be analyzed with little or no preparation
References