Varian 640-IR Spectrometer

Shedy

Hi,

I'm considering doing a piece of research on plastics in waterways in Ireland for my dissertation. I have the a Varian 640-IR Spectrometer for identifying the plastics. Is this feasible with this machine.

bduffy

Shedy wrote: »

Hi,

I'm considering doing a piece of research on plastics in waterways in Ireland for my dissertation. I have the a Varian 640-IR Spectrometer for identifying the plastics. Is this feasible with this machine.

The sample prep is the biggest issue here. Are you looking at microbeads, PET, PE? Does the instrument have a library and do you have reference materials?

You can run an ATR-FTIR on a sample of 5mm x 5mm on other machines but this looks like just a transmission instrument. In transmission mode you'd need a thin sample held between 2 salt plates....so prep is very important.

Shedy

It should have a library. I cant see a problem sourcing one if needed?
I'm in the early stages but what i would like to do is to sieve the material down to 5mm-1mm, 1mm-150 micrometers and if possible 150 micrometers to 2.2 micrometers. The type of plastic will most likely vary but I would like to identify the types and try to quantify them. If i place a sample in the spectrometer containing various plastics, will it be able to identify them? and will the spectrometer be able to read particles less than 150 micrometers?
I'm aware the model available to me is limited and has no microscope

Thanks

bduffy

Shedy wrote: »

It should have a library. I cant see a problem sourcing one if needed?
I'm in the early stages but what i would like to do is to sieve the material down to 5mm-1mm, 1mm-150 micrometers and if possible 150 micrometers to 2.2 micrometers. The type of plastic will most likely vary but I would like to identify the types and try to quantify them. If i place a sample in the spectrometer containing various plastics, will it be able to identify them? and will the spectrometer be able to read particles less than 150 micrometers?
I'm aware the model available to me is limited and has no microscope

Thanks

Library cost can be well over €4,000 (unless you get a favour, APT in AIT for example) so you'd be better getting your hands on as many knowns as possible and doing it yourself. Blends will be a problem though.....
Going down through the sizes means getting your hands on sieves and a shaker.....2.2 um is difficult with heavy powders so plastics would be probably more difficult.
The sieves are usually for working out distributions do you'd have a 63um, 36um, 22um etc.
Regarding the possibility (or lack) of microscopes you can easily work down to 5um x 5um but the reflectance is low for light materials.
Density and thermal data (Tg) would also be useful for characterisation.....if you had access.
PM if you need more details or info on nearby labs.

AlphabetCards

I'd be happy to run some thermal analysis to ID any transitions occuring in your plastics/polymers - Feel free to PM with details and we'll see where we stand. GPC/SEC would be beneficial to ascertain your Mw and distributions - it'll help differentiate the sources and origins of the plastics in some cases.