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FTIR is a powerful real-time monitoring technique for detection and quantification of multiple compounds simultaneously even in harsh industrial environments. Alteration of the compound list in an installed system does not require any hardware modifications but only a simple software change. FTIR systems also do not need routine calibration. Their analysis is done using calibrated infrared spectra in a standards library on the hard drive of the instrument computer. In effect every measurement is individually calibrated against these standards during analysis. Several ASTM and EPA measurement protocols have been published for using FTIR in industrial or regulatory monitoring.
The FTIR essentially sends an infrared (IR) beam of light through a region to be analyzed, captures this beam after passing through the region and generated a full infrared spectrum of the light which identifies the gases present and allows for their concentration to be measured to ppb-levels.
FTIR systems can operate with telescopes transmitting and receiving the IR beam so monitoring of long outdoor paths are possible. It can also send the beam through a cell in the instrument itself so gases to be analyzed are pumped through the instrument for analysis. The telescope systems are "open-path" instruments and the cell-based systems are "extractive" (extracting a sample from the source).
All IMACC monitors are modular with a Base Unit and Accessories. This allows an IMACC system to be configured as active or passive open-path monitor or as an extractive monitor. The user can convert an instrument from one configuration to another easily. This means the acquisition of a specific IMACC monitor does not "lock" the user into that particular configuration forever. Purchase of another accessory in the future allows for conversion of the system.
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