| Solid Phase Extraction-FTIR There is a need to determine the frac polymers, TPH, and Guar (polysaccharide) content of produced water from well fracturing chemicals. These agents affect the performance of their water treatment membrane separation technologies. Jensen Technologies and Peak Analytical are contracted to setup routine analytical methods capability that are rapid and cost effective. Technical and Method Approach • Use disposable Solid Phase Extraction (spe) to cleanup and concentrate the sample. • The sample is eluted with an appropriate solvent. • The collected analytes are injected into an FTIR spectrometer and/or Refractive Index detector (RI) to identify and quantify. The next page briefly explains FTIR and RI. Detailed information on spe is available upon request. Refractometers A Refractometer is a simple instrument used for measuring concentrations of aqueous solutions. It requires only a few drops of liquid, and is used throughout chemical and manufacturing industries. How a Refractometer Works When light enters a liquid it changes direction; this is called refraction. Refractometers measure the degree to which the light changes direction, called the angle of refraction. A refractometer takes the refraction angles and correlates them to refractive index (nD) values that have been established. Using these values, you can determine the concentrations of solutions. For example, solutions have different refractive indexes depending on their concentration in water. The prism in the refractometer has a greater refractive index than the solution. Measurements are read at the point where the prism and solution meet. With a low concentration solution, the refractive index of the prism is much greater than that of the sample, creating a large refraction angle and a low reading ("A" on diagram). The reverse would happen with a high concentration solution ("B" on diagram). FTIR Analysis Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Testing FTIR is a good tool for screening and profiling samples. FTIR testing identifies chemical compounds in consumer products, paints, polymers, coatings, pharmaceuticals, foods and many other products. Advantages of FTIR Analysis FTIR offers quantitative and qualitative analysis for organic and inorganic samples. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) identifies chemical bonds in a molecule by producing an infrared absorption spectrum. The resulting spectra produce a profile of the sample, a distinctive molecular fingerprint that can be used to easily screen and scan samples for many different components. FTIR is an effective analytical instrument for detecting functional groups and characterizing covalent bonding. The spe technology can also be used for other organic components such as oil and grease, total petroleum hydrocarbons, and other organics. The following procedure outlines a carbohydrate determination. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is an analytical technique used to identify organic (and in some cases inorganic) materials. This technique measures the absorption of various infrared light wavelengths by a particular material. The spectra are used to identify the material. Absorption bands in the range of 4000 - 1500 wavenumbers are typically due to functional groups (e.g. -OH, C=O, N-H, CH3, etc.). The region between 1500 - 400 wavenumbers is referred to as the fingerprint region. Absorption bands in this region are generally due to intra-molecular phenomena, and are highly specific for each material. The specificity of these bands allow computerized data searches to be performed against reference libraries to identify a material. Peak Analytical, Inc., utilizes this advanced technique in the analysis of contamination and failures in plastics, rubbers, and others. Furthermore, our facilities also include various sampling accessories such as a gas cell, ATR, liquid cell, and a microscope to ensure that regardless of the sample type, we can obtain the best IR spectrum to perform a thorough analysis. Back to Services |