Photopyroelectric technique for the measurement of thermal and optical properties of pigments in liquid solution.

The analytical solution for the one-dimensional heat diffusion problem for a two-layer system, in the Beer-Lambert model for light absorption, is shown to be useful for the implementation of a novel photopyroelectric (PPE) methodology, for the measurement of thermal and optical properties for pigments in liquid solution. The PPE signal, as a function of the sample's thickness, is used for this goal. Exponential decay for the PPE amplitude, followed by a constant PPE phase, for solutions at low dye concentration and an exponential decay for the PPE amplitude but a linear PPE phase behavior for the higher concentrated ones are shown and are, respectively, used for the measurement of the optical absorption coefficient and thermal diffusivity for liquid samples. These PPE phase behaviors also provide a criterion to decide on the corresponding limit for optical and thermal properties measurement. This PPE methodology was tested by measuring the optical absorption coefficient (at 658 nm) and thermal diffusivity for solution of methylene blue and copper sulfate in distilled water at various concentrations. Independent measurements of optical properties, using a commercial spectrometer, were done to compare with the corresponding ones obtained with this PPE methodology, finding very good agreement to each other.