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

衰减全反射（ATR）微傅立叶变换红外（FT-IR）光谱学克服了FT-IR光谱学的许多局限性，非常适合于对太厚或吸收太强而不能用透射光谱学分析的材料进行表征。对于散装材料或厚膜，不需要样品制备，使该方法非常适合分析牙科和石油工业中使用的树脂。与传统的透射红外光谱相比，ATR FT-IR光谱提供：更快的采样，提高样品的可重复性，不需要样品制备，因此引入伪影的机会更少，是研究聚合动力学的理想选择。在温度可控的条件下，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一种耐用的塑料衬里，并研究牙科树脂的聚合。当聚合物材料从未固化阶段到最终固化阶段时，实时确定材料转化是至关重要的。通过显微硬度测试，我们已经表明，在不同的牙科固化光照射下，牙修复体表面的树脂聚合存在显著差异。生物医学工程学院、牙科学院和土木与资源工程学院的联合项目申请将用于提供更多关于聚合动力学的信息，而不是通过硬度测试或传统的FT-IR光谱获得。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固结和油田工具。对于这两个项目来说，在控制温度条件下，跟踪这些材料从未固化到最终固化阶段的聚合过程中的材料转化是至关重要的。该设备的建议版本是唯一适合这项研究。

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.