How Critical is Spectral Range to Identification of Microplastics?

The impact of narrowing the IR spectral range  from 4,000 - 650 cm-1 to 1,800 to 975 cm-1 on the identification of microplastics was investigated, using (i) three different IR microscopic techniques: FTIR-ATR, µFTIR-FPA, LDIR and (ii) multiple spectral ranges. In each case, the major types of polymers were successfully identified when the narrowed spectral spectral range was used.  Because this is the spectral range of the LDIR, this study establishes it as a reliable technique for the characterization of microplastics.

Presenter: Louis Tisinger, PhD (Application Engineer, Molecular Spectroscopy, Agilent Technologies, Inc.)

Louis (Lou) Tisinger has a Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry from Miami University in Oxford Ohio, where his graduate research involved the study of ATR imaging and microscope performance in vibrational spectroscopy. Most of his career has been related to pre- and post-sales support of FTIR spectrometers, microscopes, imaging systems, and thermal analytical instruments, focusing on analyzing customer samples, demonstrations, post-sales training, troubleshooting, and R&D.