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The new Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectrophotometer Plastic Analysis System recently released by Shimadzu Scientific Instruments, Columbia, Md., includes proprietary UV- and thermal-damaged plastics libraries to facilitate reportedly what is highly accurate qualification and to determine the state of deterioration when analyzing foreign substances, contaminants and microplastics.

The system features Shimadzu’s IRSpirit FTIR spectrophotometer, QATR-S single-reflection ATR attachment, and the Plastic Analyzer Method Package. The plastic analyzer method package includes FTIR spectral libraries for plastics degraded by UV rays and heat. These libraries help investigators accurately analyze unknown samples that are difficult to identify with standard libraries.

The UV-damaged plastics library includes more than 200 spectra from the UV degradation of 14 types of plastics, unirradiated and UV irradiated for 1 to 550 hours. UV irradiation for 550 hours with an ultra-accelerated weathering tester is equivalent to exposure to ultraviolet light for about 10 years.

The thermal-damaged plastics library includes more than 100 spectra from the degradation of 13 types of plastic heated to between 392 F/ 200 C and 752 F/400 C.

The system also includes plastic measurement parameters and IR Pilot, a special program for IRSpirit that simplifies spectral measurements and the creation of reports, enabling analysts to easily perform everything from the measurement of target samples to data analysis. Reportedly, even users unfamiliar with FTIR analysis can start work immediately.