FTIR Plastic Analyzer

Description

The Shimadzu FTIR Plastic Analyzer is a specialized instrument configured for the identification of plastic polymers and the evaluation of their degradation. This system combines an IRSpirit FTIR spectrophotometer with a single-reflection ATR accessory and dedicated software. Its analytical approach relies on spectral matching against specialized libraries containing data for plastics subjected to environmental stressors. One library includes over 200 spectra from 14 plastic types exposed to UV light for durations up to 550 hours. A separate thermal-damage library holds more than 100 spectra from 13 plastics heated between 200°C and 400°C. This allows the instrument to identify unknown plastic materials, detect contaminants or microplastics, and assess the extent of material weathering. The FTIR component operates with a single-beam optical system across a wavelength range of 7,800 to 350 cm⁻¹. It is designed to analyze solid plastic samples with a minimum size of approximately 0.3 mm. The integrated software manages the workflow from measurement to report creation, supporting applications in quality assurance, failure analysis, and environmental research.