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Ir Detectors

The document discusses various detectors used in infrared spectroscopy, including Golay cells and pyroelectric detectors, detailing their principles and workings. It also covers FTIR spectrophotometry, highlighting its advantages, principles, instrumentation, and applications in material analysis and diagnostics. FTIR is noted for its non-destructive nature, speed, and ability to provide precise measurements, making it valuable in various industrial and research settings.

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20 views6 pages

Ir Detectors

The document discusses various detectors used in infrared spectroscopy, including Golay cells and pyroelectric detectors, detailing their principles and workings. It also covers FTIR spectrophotometry, highlighting its advantages, principles, instrumentation, and applications in material analysis and diagnostics. FTIR is noted for its non-destructive nature, speed, and ability to provide precise measurements, making it valuable in various industrial and research settings.

Uploaded by

Lohitha
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Commonly used detectors used in infrared spectroscopy such as:

1. Golay cell
2. Bolometer
3. Thermistors
4. Thermocouple/Thermopile
5. Pyroelectric detector

Golay cell
Principle: When infrared radiation is absorbed by the gas present in the chamber,
the gas expands and deforms the flexible membrane which results in the deflection
of light from the membrane which is then detected by the photodiode array
detector.

Working:

 The Golay cell detector consists of a small metal cylinder enclosed by a rigid
metal plate.
 Separated by a flexible membrane or diaphragm, the chamber encloses an
IR-active gas on one side and an LED light source (focused on the
membrane) on the other.
 When the IR radiation falls on the chamber, the gas absorbs the radiation
and expands due to the heat generated.
 The resultant increase in the pressure causes the diaphragm to deform.
 The LED light focusing on the membrane deflects and the beam gets
reflected toward the photodiode array detector.
 The fraction of the beam reaching the photodiode depends on the curvature
of the flexible membrane which in turn depends on the IR radiation absorbed
by the gas and which in turn depends on the IR radiation that has reached the
detector.
 Golay cell detector can be used in the far IR region where the radiation
energy is less.
Pyroelectric detector

Principle: The pyroelectric detector depends on the principle of the change in the
orientation of dipoles when the IR radiation falls on the pyroelectric substance.

The pyroelectric detector is the most commonly used detector among all IR
detectors.

Working:

 Pyroelectric detector is made up of a ferroelectric material that can retain


residual polarization even after the electrostatic field is removed and which
is temperature sensitive.
 The pyroelectric substance is placed between two electrodes and is
connected to a voltmeter.
 At room temperature, the dipoles are randomly oriented. When the IR
radiation falls on the pyroelectric material, the dipoles get aligned.
 This change in polarization produces an electrical signal which depends on
the amount of heat caused by the IR radiation.
 The pyroelectric substance loses its polarization above Curie temperature.
So, the detection must be done below the Curie temperature.

Examples of Pyroelectric Material

Cobalt phthalocyanine.

Lithium tantalite.

Polyvinyl fluorides.

Gallium nitride.

Tourmaline.

FT- IR Spectrophotometer
Advantages

Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy is favored over dispersive or filter


methods of infrared spectral analysis:

• It is a non-destructive procedure.

• It provides a precise measurement method that does not require external


calibration

• It can increase speed by collecting a scan every second

It can increase speed by collecting scans every second;

it can increase sensitivity by combining scans taken at intervals of one second to


cancel out random noise.

• It offers higher optical throughput.

• It has a simplified mechanical design with only one moving part


Principle of FTIR

The Michelson interferometer consists of a beam splitter, a moving mirror, and a


stationary mirror. The beam splitter divides the light beam into two halves, which
are reflected by the moving and fixed mirrors before being recombined by the
beam splitter.
As the moving mirror makes reciprocating movements, the optical path difference
to the fixed mirror changes, causing the phase difference to shift over time.
Interference light is created in the Michelson interferometer by recombining the
light beams. An interferogram records the intensity of the interference light, with
the optical path difference recorded along the horizontal axis.
Instrumentation of FTIR

Parts of FTIR instrumentation include:


The Source: A broadband emitter, such as a mid-IR ceramic source, a far-infrared
mercury lamp, or a near-infrared halogen lamp, is used as the light source.
The Interferometer
The interferometer, which consists of a beamsplitter, a stationary mirror, and a
moving mirror, is the heart of an FTIR spectrometer. The beamsplitter is a semi-
transparent mirror that divides a collimated light beam into two optical channels.
Half of the light is transferred to the moving mirror and half is reflected to the
stationary mirror. The moving and stationary mirrors reflect the two light beams,
which are recombined at the beamsplitter before going through the sample
chamber and onto the detector.
The sample
Depending on the type of analysis being performed, the beam enters the sample
compartment and is either transmitted through or reflected off the surface of the
sample. This is where certain frequencies of energy that are unique to the sample
are absorbed.
Detector
FTIR detectors are used to measure and convert the transmitted or reflected light
from a sample into an electrical signal. The sensitivity and wavelength range of the
data that can be captured is determined by the type and material of the detector.
The detector converts the beam into photons, which are then translated into
measurable electric signals that the computer can read. The following are some
examples of common detectors:
 Room temperature DLATGS is a regular analysis tool.
 Cooled liquid nitrogen is employed in sensitive applications.
 Si-photodiodes are employed in near-IR and visible infrared applications.
 Silicon far-infrared bolometers
Applications of FTIR
 FTIR spectroscopy equipment is commonly used to examine industrially
manufactured materials in various quality control processes.
 FTIR spectroscopy is a common first step in material analysis. A change in the
spectrometer’s absorption band characteristic patterns suggests a change in the
material composition or possible contamination.
 It is used to dry polymers, photoresist materials, and polyimides.
 FTIR spectroscopy investigates the interactions between matter and
electromagnetic radiation, which appear as a spectrum.
 FTIR spectrum analysis has enabled the diagnosis of various organ diseases as
well as the quantification of various biomolecules such as proteins, nucleic
acids, and lipids.
 FTIR is a unique approach for characterizing the variation in fuel stability of
several biodiesel /antioxidant mixtures.
 In most failure analysis investigations, it is used to determine breakdown,
oxidation, and uncured monomers.
 FTIR is also used for :
 high-resolution experiments
 trace analysis in raw materials or final products.
 Reactions on the microsecond time scale.
 Chromatographic and thermogravimetric sample fraction analysis.
 It is used to identify reaction components and conduct kinetic studies on
reactions.
 It is used for compound identification by matching the spectra of an unknown
substance with a reference spectrum (fingerprinting).
 It is also utilized for functional group identification in unknown compounds.
For example, Ketones, Aldehydes, Carboxylic Acids, and so on.

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