NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY - THE GIANT IS RUNNING STRONG

Over the past 10 years the number of near-IR spectroscopy manufacturers has increased. FT near-IR manufacturers are listening to and responding to the needs of the community. Although the annual number of near-IR spectroscopy technical publications has decreased, users groups are appearing in every corner of the world. Now researchers are turning to near-IR imaging systems for composition distribution measurements. Environmental demands for “clean chemistry” will serve to boost our dependence on near-IR spectroscopy even though it is a secondary measurement tool that depends on chemometrics and requires training samples to get useful results. After World War II, mid-IR spectroscopy became the apple of the eye of classical spectroscopists. Those were the “dark ages” for near-IR spectroscopy. Only a faithful few, such as Kaye, Canon, and Devaney (64), Willis and Miller (65), Goddu and Delker (66), Whetsel (67), and Wheeler (68) hung on to the vision that near-IR spectroscopy had merit They provided a sturdy foundation on which Norris and others could build. They built a giant, and the giant is running strong!. © 1994, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.