Micro-fourier transform infrared spectroscope with temperature controlled attenuated total reflectance

衰减全反射（ATR）显微傅里叶变换红外（FT-IR）光谱克服了FT-IR光谱的许多局限性，非常适合用于表征那些太厚或吸收太强而无法通过透射光谱进行分析的材料。 对于散装材料或厚膜，无需样品制备，因此该方法非常适合用于牙科和石油工业中的树脂分析。与传统的透射红外光谱相比，ATR FT-IR光谱具有以下优点：更快的采样速度，更高的样品间重现性，无需样品制备，因此引入伪影的机会更少，是研究聚合动力学的理想选择。如果ATR连接可以温度控制，则还可以研究温度对聚合动力学的影响。我们正在为石油工业开发耐用的塑料衬里，并研究牙科树脂的聚合。当聚合物材料从未固化到最终固化阶段时，确定真实的材料转化率是至关重要的。使用显微硬度测试，我们已经表明，树脂聚合的显着差异存在于整个表面的牙科牙釉质时，照射不同的牙科固化灯。生物医学工程学院，牙科学院和土木与资源工程学院的这一联合项目申请将用于提供更多关于聚合动力学的信息，而不是从硬度测试或常规FT-IR光谱中获得的信息。该设备还将用于开发新型聚合物材料和树脂，这些材料和树脂具有天然来源，可用于牙科，以及石油工业中的地层加固和油田工具。这是至关重要的两个项目，以跟踪这些材料的聚合过程中，从未固化到最终固化阶段，在受控的温度条件下的材料转换。该设备的拟议版本特别适合本研究。

Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy overcomes many of the limitations of FT-IR Spectroscopy and is very suitable for the characterization of materials that are either too thick or too strong absorbing to be analyzed by transmission spectroscopy.  For bulk materials or thick films, no sample preparation is required making this method ideal for the analysis of resins that are used in dentistry and in the petroleum industry. Compared to conventional transmission IR spectroscopy, ATR FT-IR spectroscopy offers: Faster sampling, improved sample-sample reproducibility, no sample preparation is needed, consequently less chance of introducing artifacts, and it is ideal for studying polymerization kinetics. The effect of temperature on the polymerization kinetics can also be studied if the ATR attachment can be temperature controlled. We are developing a durable plastic liner for the petroleum industry and studying the polymerization of dental resins. It is of paramount importance to determine the material conversion in real time as polymeric materials go from the uncured to final cured stages. Using micro-hardness testing we have already shown that significant differences in resin polymerization exist across the surface of dental restorations when irradiated by different dental curing lights. This joint project application from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculties of Dentistry and Civil and Resource Engineering will be used to provide more information concerning polymerization kinetics than can be obtained from hardness testing or conventional FT-IR spectroscopy. The equipment will also be used to develop novel polymeric materials and resins that have natural origin for use in dentistry, and in the petroleum industry for both formation consolidation and oilfield tools. It is of paramount importance to both projects to track the material conversion during polymerization of these materials from uncured to final cured stages under controlled temperature conditions. The proposed version of this equipment is uniquely suitable for this research.