Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) Sampling in Infrared Spectroscopy of Heterogeneous Materials Requires Reproducible Pressure Control.

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR FT-IR) spectroscopy, in which the sample is pressed against an internal reflection element, is a popular technique for rapid IR spectral collection. However, depending on the accessory design, the pressure applied to the sample is not always well controlled. While collecting data from fabrics with heterogeneous coatings, we have observed systematic pressure-dependent changes in spectra that can be eliminated by more reproducible pressure control.

Detection Limits for Blood on Fabrics Using Attenuated Total Reflection Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR FT-IR) Spectroscopy and Derivative Processing.

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR FT-IR) was used to detect blood stains based on signature protein absorption in the mid-IR region, where intensity changes in the spectrum can be related to blood concentration. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was applied for multivariate calibrations of IR spectra of blood dilutions on four types of fabric (acrylic, nylon, polyester, and cotton). Gap derivatives (GDs) were applied as a preprocessing technique to optimize the performance of calibration models.

Chemical contrast observed in thermal images of blood-stained fabrics exposed to steam.

Thermal imaging is not ordinarily a good way to visualize chemical contrast. In recent work, however, we observed strong and reproducible images with chemical contrasts on blood-stained fabrics, especially on more hydrophobic fabrics like acrylic and polyester.