Near Infrared ( NIR ) Analyzers

Near-infrared (NIR) photometry is widely used in industry for on-line process measurements. NIR instruments can analyze most solids using NIR reflectance and most liquids and gases using NIR transmission. The most common and easiest NIR measurement is moisture. The NIR absorbance of a material depends primarily on its chemical composition. Different compounds absorb at different NIR wavelengths, depending on their chemical structure. Process NIR instrumentation must make reliable, accurate, fast measurements in an on-line environment. The most commonly used are fixed-wavelength photometers, which make measurements using a few fixed wavelengths of NIR light. Spectrophotometers can use the entire NIR spectrum to make measurements. In transmission measurements, fiber optics are often used to transmit NIR light to and from the sample, allowing the NIR instrument to be located remotely in a mild environment.