Susan Berets

Diamond ATR has become one of the most commonly used FT-IR spectroscopy methods. However, the strong diamond lattice bands in the 2300–1900 cm-1 region make it difficult to measure the functional groups from nitriles, isocyanates, isothiocyanates, diimides, azides, and ketenes that would normally appear in that region. This applications note compares the sensitivity of a single-reflection ATR to multiple-reflection ATR for the nitrile functional group infrared transition.

This application note demonstrates determining the correct orientation of the polarizer for these measurements and illustrates the importance of polarized measurements in specific examples.

Because of their corrosive properties, corrosive lipids are challenging to analyze by ATR-FT-IR. Repeated and prolonged analysis can damage many ATR crystals. Diamond ATR is a better choice for such applications than other ATR crystal materials like ZnSe and Ge. This application note examines a corrosive liquid as it becomes progressively more concentrated using diamond ATR.

Tribology-the study of friction, wear, and lubrication-is important in mechanical, electromechanical, and biological systems. Changes in materials due to abrasion, friction, lubrication, erosion, and corrosion result in failures of the moving components during use. These effects are usually minimized by careful surface finish design and lubrication. Recycling and refinishing surfaces can extend the lifetimes of components. By examining worn surfaces, better methods can be developed to prevent wear. This applications note uses infrared spectroscopy to study tribology changes in steel.

Grazing angle Ge ATR spectroscopy is extremely sensitive to monolayers and thin films on high refractive index substrates such as Si.