Development of an EX-certified diamond probe for the IRmadillo spectrometer

Keit开发了一种新的FTIR光谱仪，专为工艺/制造环境而设计。现有的竞争系统已被证明容易受到工艺环境常见的振动和冲击的影响。Keit的Irmadillo光谱仪没有活动部件，已被证明在工艺环境中非常可靠。Irmadillo测量工艺液体的不同成分的浓度--例如，石油、石化、精细化学品和生物技术。需要这种能力的化学成分和操作条件的范围非常广泛。分析物温度可以从-80摄氏度到300摄氏度以上，压力从1到50bar，分析物pH可以从-1到14。我们可以服务的操作条件范围越广，我们的市场就越大。光谱仪的一个关键部件是必须与液体分析物接触的光学探头。因此，探针尖端受到与分析物相同的物理和化学条件的影响，并且必须能够在这些条件下运行和存活至少12个月。我们目前探头上的光学窗口是由红外玻璃(AMTIR)制成的，这种玻璃的光学效果很好，但无法承受高于9.5的pH值。我们有一些客户表示有兴趣使用我们的技术，但他们的化学反应高于PH9.5，我们没有针对他们的产品。此外，这种化学物质大部分发生在潜在的爆炸性环境中，因此任何商业产品都需要通过严格的测试，以确保在这种环境下使用是安全的。中红外和高PH值的理想光学材料是钻石。这是行业内的标准。由于我们的探头尺寸很大(考虑到基本的光学设计而需要)，不可能简单地用相同的钻石来取代AMTIR光学元件。我们需要开发一种探测器，其外部元素(与分析物接触)耐高pH，包括钻石，但具有内部机械和光学功能，以最大限度地提高光吞吐量，并在过程化学工业中常见的高压和高温下生存。我们已经开发并成功测试了一种光学概念，该概念结合了钻石前窗并提供了足够的光吞吐量，但它无法经受住温度(目标150℃)和压力(30bar)或爆炸环境，这是商业上可行的。该项目将交付该商业产品。

Keit has developed a novel FTIR spectrometer, uniquely designed for the process/manufacturing environment. Existing competitive systems have proven vulnerable to the vibrations and shocks common to the process environment. Keit's IRmadillo spectrometer has no moving parts and has proven very reliable in process environments. The IRmadillo measures the concentrations of different components of process liquids - oils, petrochemicals, fine chemicals and biotech for example. The range of chemistries and operating conditions where this capability is needed is very wide. Analyte temperatures can range from -80C to over 300C, pressures range from 1 to 50bar and the analyte pH can be anywhere from -1 to 14. The broader range of operating conditions we can serve, the bigger our market.A key part of the spectrometer is an optical probe that must be in contact with the liquid analyte. The probe tip is therefore subject to the same physical and chemical conditions of the analyte and must be able to operate and survive for a minimum of 12 months in those conditions. The optical window on our current probe is made of an infrared glass (AMTIR) that is optically good, but unable to withstand pH of greater than 9.5. We have customers who have expressed interest in using our technology but who have chemistry that operates above pH9.5 and for them we have no product. In addition, much of this chemistry happens in potentially explosive atmospheres, so any commercial product needs to pass stringent testing to ensure it is safe for use in such an atmosphere.The ideal optical material for the mid-infrared and high pH is diamond. This is a standard in the industry. Due to the large size of our probe (required given the fundamental optical design), it is not possible simply to replace the AMTIR optic with an identical diamond. We need to develop a probe who's external elements (in contact with the analyte) are high pH resistant, including diamond, but with the internal mechanics and optics to maximise light throughput and also survive the high pressures and temperatures common in the process chemistry industries.We have developed and successfully tested an optical concept that incorporates a diamond front window and gives adequate light throughput, but it cannot survive the temperatures (target 150C) and pressures (30bar) nor the explosive atmospheres that it needs to do to be commercially viable. This project will deliver that commercial product.