Ask an Expert - 5 Answers to your Questions about Infrared Spectroscopy
Infrared spectroscopy is a powerful technique for understanding the physical and chemical properties of materials, but not all spectroscopy technologies operate the same way. To help clarify the differences and highlight how Infrared (NIR/IR) technology supports fast, informed decision making, we’ve answered five of the most common questions about NIR/IR and their roles‑ in modern analytical testing.
What is spectroscopy?
Spectroscopy measures how materials absorb or transmit light at different wavelengths. Because individual wavelengths interact uniquely with different compounds, chemists can use this information to map the physical and chemical properties of a sample delivering quantitative, actionable data.
What are the benefits of IR vs traditional wet chemistry?
Wet chemistry has long been a cornerstone of quality and safety testing, offering reliable and well‑established analytical results. But when operations need rapid insights to make fast, informed decisions, IR provides a more efficient path forward. With a single IR scan, you can measure multiple traits or analytes at once, without reagents and with little to no sample preparation. IR also handles a wide range of physical forms including solids, liquids, suspensions, pastes, and more making it a versatile solution for real‑time quality monitoring. IR spectroscopy provides clients with a uniform sample analysis method that can be utilized by any non-technical personnel across multiple locations, reducing human error when analyzing with traditional chemistry methodology.
When implementing IR within your operations, you gain the capacity to achieve a high volume of data in a short time, enabling you to make real-time quality decisions that cannot be achieved with traditional methods. While easy to operate, robust IR models are required to achieve accurate results with dedicated personnel and rigorous effort to maintain.
What is the difference between NIR vs. Mid IR?
The infrared region of light is divided into various wavelengths including near‑infrared (NIR) and mid‑infrared (Mid‑IR) with each offering unique advantages depending on the sample type, environment, and operational needs.
Near‑Infrared (NIR): Versatile and Rugged for Real‑World Environments
NIR spectroscopy is widely used because of its ability to analyze a broad range of matrices, including liquids and solids that may not be perfectly homogeneous. Its flexibility makes it ideal for industries working with variable or complex materials.
NIR instruments, whether benchtop or in‑line, are built to withstand harsher environments than Mid‑IR systems. This durability allows NIR to be deployed directly in production settings, where speed and resilience matter.
Mid‑Infrared (Mid‑IR): High Sensitivity for Precise Applications
Mid‑IR spectroscopy offers higher sensitivity due to its stronger absorption coefficients. This makes it especially effective for analyzing gases, liquids, pastes, and solids that can be prepared as small, homogeneous samples.
When precision is critical and sample uniformity is achievable, Mid‑IR provides exceptional detail and accuracy.
What types of samples and traits can be evaluated with NIR?
A wide range of samples can be tested utilizing NIR. Common sample matrices include food products, marine oils, hops, hemp, and dairy. Eurofins QTA pushes the boundaries of where clients can use NIR in order to introduce this analytical solution into new applications and emerging industries.
In addition to analyzing organic materials, Eurofins QTA has applications for physical and inorganic traits, such as calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate in limestone and NPK in fertilizers.
What types of samples and traits can be evaluated with IR?
A wide range of samples can be analyzed using IR spectroscopy. Common matrices include food products, marine oils, hops, hemp, and dairy, most of the organic materials. This technology continues to expand into new applications and emerging industries as its capabilities grow.
In addition to organic materials, IR can also be applied to physical and inorganic traits, such as measuring calcium carbonate and magnesium carbonate in limestone or assessing NPK components in fertilizers.
Choosing the Right Technology
Building an infrared spectroscopy program from the ground up can present several challenges. Decision on the suitable spectrometer alone can make the NIR/IR solution fail or succeed. Organizations often face significant capital investment for instrumentation, the need to collect large and diverse sample sets to develop robust models, environmental variability that affects performance, and the ongoing work of validating and maintaining those models.
Eurofins Quality Trait Analysis (QTA) helps simplify this process. We can support you in selecting and purchasing instrumentation or provide the instruments directly as part of our service offerings. Our goal is to make managing an NIR program straightforward, regardless of whether you operate in marine oil, limestone, pet food, ingredient production, biodiesel, or other industries.
Explore this video for a look at our approach to selecting the right IR instrumentation:
Our models are built on decades of accumulated data, giving them the strength to handle formulation changes and shifting environmental conditions. Backed by continuous monitoring from our team of Ph.D. chemists, your instruments and models receive ongoing performance checks and maintenance.
Partnering with Eurofins QTA allows you to leverage the full power of infrared spectroscopy without the traditional burdens of building and sustaining an IR program on your own.
Click here to learn more about rapid on-site IR/NIR services at Eurofins.
