Multiple Reflection HATR

Description

Multiple Reflection HATR – Maximum Sensitivity and Highly Versatile FTIR Sampling

Horizontal Attenuated Total Reflectance (HATR) accessories successfully replace constant path transmission cells, salt plates and KBr pellets used in the analysis of liquid, semi-liquid materials and a number of solids. HATRs feature a constant and reproducible effective pathlength and are well suited for both qualitative and quantitative applications. In general, sampling is achieved by placing the sample onto the HATR crystal – generally eliminating sample preparation.

PIKE Technologies HATR products are available in 2 base optic configurations. The HATR is an in-compartment design for samples which fit into the FTIR sample compartment. The PIKE Technologies HATRPlus is an out-of-compartment design for samples which are larger and do not fit into the FTIR sample compartment. The sampling surface of the HATRPlus extends above the FTIR cover, thereby permitting analysis of very large samples. Applications examples include; coatings on large manufactured components, layered composition analysis on large objects, and skin analysis in the health care industry.

The PIKE Technologies HATRs are high performance accessories, carefully designed to provide excellent results with minimum effort. The accessories are easily installed in the sample compartment, locking into position on the sample compartment baseplate.

Stable alignment provides excellent analytical precision. Crystal plate changeover is rapid, allowing a wide range of samples to be analyzed with maximum convenience. PIKE Technologies HATRs have been optimized for maximum optical throughput and excellent quality spectra can be obtained from demanding samples. Several high quality crystal materials covering a full spectrum of applications are available. Trough crystal plates are sealed using metallic gaskets, eliminating premature failure and the risk of cross-contamination associated with inferior, epoxy-bonded systems. Flat crystal plates are designed with positive surface relief to aid in improved sample contact.
All PIKE HATRs include a purge tube interface for the FTIR spectrometer. This provides full integration of the accessory with the FTIR spectrometer’s purging system (sealed and desiccated or purged) and removal of water and carbon dioxide artefacts from the FTIR spectra. Thanks to this, purging is very efficient and the spectrometer can be operated with the sample compartment door open.

HATR Crystal Plate Choices
PIKE Technologies HATR crystal plates are available in trough and flat plate configurations.

The trough plate is designed for easy sampling, with a large, recessed crystal to accommodate the sample – generally a liquid, powder, or paste. The trough plate is ideal when samples must be cleaned from the crystal with some type of aqueous or organic solvent.

Typically, only a thin layer of the sample needs to be applied onto the crystal surface. For fast evaporating samples, a volatiles cover should be used to cover the sampling area.
Soft powders will often produce good spectra when analyzed by HATR, assuming that they can be put in intimate contact with the crystal. A powder press option is used to achieve this. This device is placed directly on top of the sample filled trough and pressed by hand until the desired result is obtained.

The flat plate is used for the analysis of solid materials – including polymer and film samples. It is ideal for solid samples which are too large to fit within the trough plate configuration.
The crystal is mounted slightly above the surface of the metal plate, which helps to achieve good crystal/sample contact when the flat plate press is used (the press attaches easily to the back of the HATR with two thumb screws).
A large number of temperature-controlled and flow-through sampling plates are available for PIKE Technologies HATRs – all are pin-mounted to the HATR with no alignment required.
All temperature controlled and flow-through crystal plate options are compatible and interchangeable with HATR and HATRPlus products. PIKE Technologies temperature controllers provide static or ramped temperature control.

All PIKE HATR flow cells have removable HATR crystals. The upper and lower part of the crystal plate is removed, and the crystal can be easily taken out of the plate. This feature enables replacement of the crystals and facilitates special cleaning for proteins and other “sticky” samples.

All resistively heated HATR plates are controlled by PIKE Temperature controllers in digital or digital PC versions. The selection of the digital PC version includes PIKE TempPRO software which provides a graphical user interface for temperature control and kinetic measurements.

 

For special applications where you need to look at coatings on an HATR crystal, PIKE Technologies offers the RCPlate™ option. The new RCPlate is designed to enable easy removal and reinsertion of the HATR crystal. Applications include analysis of coatings, mono-molecular layers, or bio-films deposited directly upon the HATR crystal. With these new RCPlates, it is easy to collect the background spectrum on the clean crystal, remove the HATR crystal from the RCPlate, coat the crystal and then reposition it into the RCPlate to collect the sample spectrum.

Summary
The PIKE Technologies HATR accessory provides high sensitivity for analysis of low concentration components in liquid, solid, and polymer samples. The highly flexible accessory is available for in-compartment and out-of-compartment configurations with complete selection of crystal material, sample format, and temperature and flow-through configurations.
Do you need an HATR product or feature not shown here in our catalogue? Please contact us to discuss your application.

• Excellent energy throughput offering high signal-to-noise ratio and spectral quality
• Up to 17 internal reflections for maximum sensitivity for low concentration components
• Removable crystal plates with pinned positioning for high precision and quick cleanup
• HATR plates with ZnSe, KRS-5, Ge, AMTIR or Si crystals with selectable face angles to optimize sampling depth
• In-compartment (HATR) and out-of-compartment (HATRPlus) versions for small and extra large sample sizes
• Several temperature controlled and flow-through crystal plate options