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Expanding Into the MIR: Measuring Plastic Reflectance with Avantes and NLIR
For this month’s Spectra of the Month, we explored how Avantes spectrometers can now be used for measurements in the mid-infrared (MIR) region through collaboration with our sister company, NLIR. By combining the AvaSpec-NXS4096CL (NEXOS™) spectrometer with NLIR’s SPEKTRUM wavelength converter and TOUCH measurement interface, we performed MIR reflectance measurements of multiple plastic samples to demonstrate how material composition can be characterized beyond the visible and near-infrared ranges.
Traditionally, MIR measurements have required costly detector technologies, limiting accessibility for many applications. NLIR’s wavelength conversion technology overcomes this challenge by converting MIR signal into the NIR region, allowing measurements to be performed using CMOS-based spectrometers. In this experiment, we demonstrate how this approach enables accurate MIR analysis of plastics while highlighting the potential for lower-cost material identification, recycling, remote sensing, and industrial characterization applications.