FTIR stands for Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, which is a technique used to identify organic, polymeric, and in some cases, inorganic materials. It is a form of infrared spectroscopy that measures the interaction of infrared radiation with a sample to provide chemical identification. The FTIR analysis method uses infrared light to scan test samples and observe chemical properties. The technique measures all frequencies simultaneously, resulting in significantly faster acquisition times with improved signal to noise ratios and wavenumber accuracy.

FTIR spectroscopy is an established technique for quality control when evaluating industrially manufactured material, and can often serve as the first step in the material analysis process. It can be used to identify and characterize unknown materials, identify contamination on or in a material, and identify additives after extraction from a polymer matrix. Although typically a qualitative tool for material identification, FTIR analysis can also be used as a quantitative tool to quantify specific functional groups when the chemistry is understood and standard reference materials are available.

The FTIR spectrometer simultaneously collects high-resolution spectral data over a wide spectral range. The goal of absorption spectroscopy techniques, including FTIR, is to measure how much light a sample absorbs at each wavelength. The most straightforward way to do this is to shine a monochromatic light beam at a sample, measure how much of the light is absorbed, and repeat for each different wavelength.

In summary, FTIR analysis is a technique that uses infrared light to scan test samples and observe chemical properties. It is used to identify and characterize unknown materials, identify contamination on or in a material, and identify additives after extraction from a polymer matrix.