Apparatus and method for transient thermal infrared spectrometry

Patent · Tue Dec 03 00:00:00 EST 1991

OSTI ID:868083

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

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1. Ames, IA

A method and apparatus for enabling analysis of a material (16, 42) by applying a cooling medium (20, 54) to cool a thin surface layer portion of the material and to transiently generate a temperature differential between the thin surface layer portion and the lower portion of the material sufficient to alter the thermal infrared emission spectrum of the material from the black-body thermal infrared emission spectrum of the material. The altered thermal infrared emission spectrum of the material is detected by a spectrometer/detector (28, 50) while the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is sufficiently free of self-absorption by the material of the emitted infrared radiation. The detection is effected prior to the temperature differential propagating into the lower portion of the material to an extent such that the altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is no longer sufficiently free of self-absorption by the material of emitted infrared radiation, so that the detected altered thermal infrared emission spectrum is indicative of the characteristics relating to the molecular composition of the material.

• Research Organization: Ames Laboratory (AMES), Ames, IA; Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-82
• Assignee: Iowa State University Research Foundation, Inc. (Ames, IA)
• Patent Number(s): US 5070242
• Application Number: 07/546,738
• OSTI ID: 868083
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

apparatus
method
transient
thermal
infrared
spectrometry
enabling
analysis
material
16
42
applying
cooling
medium
20
54
cool
surface
layer
portion
transiently
generate
temperature
differential
sufficient
alter
emission
spectrum
black-body
altered
detected
spectrometer
detector
28
50
sufficiently
free
self-absorption
emitted
radiation
detection
effected
prior
propagating
extent
indicative
characteristics
relating
molecular
composition
transient thermal
layer portion
sufficiently free
thermal infrared
cooling medium
emission spectrum
infrared emission
infrared radiation
surface layer
temperature differential
molecular composition
characteristics relating
emitted infrared
material sufficient
enabling analysis
infrared spectrometry
transiently generate
/250/