Mid- and near-infrared spectroscopy of polymers: time-resolved studies and remote sensing applications

With the introduction of the Fourier-transform technique in the mid-seventies, infrared spectroscopy has become one of the most important tools for the characterization of the chemical and physical nature of polymers. Apart from the increasing availability of a broad range of special sampling devices and detection techniques (attenuated total reflection, photoacoustic and microspectroscopy) in the course of the following years, the development of the step- scan technique and the extension from the mid- to the near- infrared region have had the most significant impact on the applicability of IR-spectroscopy for time-resolved polymer analysis and process control. In the following contribution the principles and experimental details of the new techniques will be discussed and selected applications from various fields of polymer research shall demonstrate their potential.