nfrared spectroscopy has been a workhorse technique for materials analysis in the laboratory for over
seventy years. An infrared spectrum represents a fingerprint of a sample with absorption peaks which
correspond to the frequencies of vibrations between the bonds of the atoms making up the material.
Because each different material is a unique combination of atoms, no two compounds produce the
exact same infrared spectrum. Therefore, infrared spectroscopy can result in a positive
identification
(qualitative analysis) of every different kind of material. In addition, the size of the peaks in the
spectrum is a direct indication of the
amount
of material present. With modern software algorithms,
infrared is an excellent tool for quantitative analysis.