The Agilent FTIR Family

Importance of the Topic

The ability to perform Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy both in the laboratory and on site addresses critical analytical needs across industries such as aerospace, energy, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and cultural heritage. Portable and bench-top FTIR systems enable rapid material identification, quality control and process monitoring without extensive sample preparation, reducing downtime and improving decision-making in diverse environments.

Objectives and Study Overview

This document presents an overview of the Agilent FTIR product family, outlining the performance characteristics, sampling flexibility and optimal application scenarios for four FTIR platforms: the 4300 Handheld FTIR, 4500 Series Portable FTIR, 5500 Bench-Top FTIR and Cary 630 Laboratory FTIR. The goal is to guide users in selecting the most appropriate instrument for field, mobile and routine laboratory measurements.

Methodology and Instrumentation

All Agilent FTIR instruments share a common core technology and software, ensuring consistency of results:

• 4300 Handheld FTIR: Lightweight (≈2 kg), ergonomic design with interchangeable sampling interfaces (diffuse reflectance, external reflectance, grazing angle, diamond ATR, Ge ATR) for solids, coatings, pastes and gels in field conditions.
• 4500 Series Portable FTIR: Battery-powered, handheld computer control, dedicated ATR, multi-reflection ATR, TumblIR and DialPath interfaces for on-site identification and quantitation of liquids and free-flowing powders.
• 5500 Bench-Top FTIR: Compact footprint, MicroLab software, configurable with ATR, multi-reflection ATR, TumblIR and DialPath modules for routine QA/QC of solids and liquids in control rooms and laboratories.
• Cary 630 Laboratory FTIR: Modular system offering ATR, DialPath, TumblIR and gas-cell transmission options for multiuser environments, supporting solids, liquids and gases with quantitative and qualitative analysis.

Main Findings and Discussion

Each instrument balances portability, sampling versatility and analytical performance:

• The 4300 excels in nondestructive field surveys of coatings, composites and cultural artifacts.
• The 4500 Series delivers proactive maintenance analyses on fuels, chemicals and raw materials at loading docks and production sites.
• The 5500 provides reliable, high-throughput QC measurements in dedicated lab spaces.
• The Cary 630 offers maximum sampling flexibility for multiuser labs requiring rapid method changes between sample types.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Agilent FTIR systems streamline workflows by eliminating sample transport delays, enabling immediate contamination checks, raw‐material verification and routine QA/QC. The shared software platform reduces training requirements and ensures seamless data integration across instruments.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Advancements may include enhanced spectral libraries powered by machine learning, improved miniaturization for greater in-field mobility, expanded remote-access capabilities and integration with IoT networks for real-time process analytics.

Conclusion

The Agilent FTIR family provides a cohesive suite of instruments that cater to field, portable and laboratory environments without compromising analytical performance. Users can select the optimal platform to meet specific application demands, benefiting from consistent software, robust hardware and versatile sampling options.

Reference

Agilent Technologies. 2019. The Agilent FTIR Family, Publication 5991-1405EN.