Near infrared spectroscopy for polymer research, quality control and reaction monitoring

This review covers recent applications of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in the determination of physico-chemical and morphological parameters of polymeric materials. Near infrared measurements in the diffuse reflection mode are highlighted, which analyse the structural parameters such as porosity, surface area and particle size. Fundamentals and applications of the technique are discussed and examples of quantitative and qualitative analysis are explained. Various approaches like on- and in-line techniques, bulk measurements and kinetic studies for recording spectra are discussed. Furthermore, this review addresses the development of calibrations, which allow for the differentiation and quantification of materials with varying physical and morphological properties. Parameters like constitution, composition and crystallinity have a strong affect on the material characteristics. Therefore, chemical, physical and mechanical properties of synthetic as well as natural substances, such as polymeric composites and cotton or wool, need to be studied in-depth. To sum up, NIR spectroscopy has been developed as a flexible, robust and high-throughput analytical method that can be combined with chemometric and multivariate data analysis for fast and reliable screening in material science.