Apparatus and method for transient thermal infrared emission spectrometry

Patent · Mon Dec 23 23:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:868102

McClelland, John F ^[1]; Jones, Roger W ^[1]

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1. Ames, IA

A method and apparatus for enabling analysis of a solid material (16, 42) by applying energy from an energy source (20, 70) top a surface region of the solid material sufficient to cause transient heating in a thin surface layer portion of the solid material (16, 42) so as to enable transient thermal emission of infrared radiation from the thin surface layer portion, and by detecting with a spectrometer/detector (28, 58) substantially only the transient thermal emission of infrared radiation from the thin surface layer portion of the solid material. The detected transient thermal emission of infrared radiation is sufficiently free of self-absorption by the solid material of emitted infrared radiation, so as to be indicative of characteristics relating to molecular composition of the solid material.

• Research Organization: Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA; Iowa State University, Ames, IA (US)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-82
• Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation Inc. (Ames, IA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5075552
• Application Number: 07/576,448
• OSTI ID: 868102
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/250/
16
20
28
42
58
70
analysis
apparatus
applying
applying energy
characteristics
characteristics relating
composition
detected
detecting
detector
emission
emitted
emitted infrared
enable
enabling
enabling analysis
energy
energy source
free
heating
indicative
infrared
infrared emission
infrared radiation
layer
layer portion
material
material sufficient
method
molecular
molecular composition
portion
radiation
region
relating
self-absorption
solid
solid material
source
spectrometer
spectrometry
substantially
sufficient
sufficiently
sufficiently free
surface
surface layer
surface region
thermal
thermal infrared
top
transient
transient thermal