Several options exist for determining the composition, concentration, and purity of a laboratory sample. Among the most commonly used techniques are Ultraviolet/Visible (UV/Vis), Infrared (IR), and Atomic Absorption Spectrometry. Each technique is capable of providing some or all of these pieces of information you need. In addition, each of these instruments is capable of interrogated different types of samples, including air, industrial chemicals, biological fluids and foods. Therefore, selection of an appropriate technique for analysis of your sample is essential in obtaining the desired data.
UV/Vis Spectrometers
Several types of UV/Vis spectrophotometers exist, however they all operate on the same basic principle. In short, discrete bandwidths of light are passed through a sample. “Visible” light energy can be seen by humans, while its close neighbor, ultraviolet, cannot. In the entire electromagnetic spectrum ranging from high-frequency,