FTIR Spectra Databases

While chemical bond type identifications can be very useful for identifying strange and unusual material compositions, it is very useful to have large databases of FTIR spectra when one wants to match a particular substance to various specific manufactured products. Even when a particular material does not precisely match a manufactured material in a database, it is often helpful to know what products are similar to it. We presently have the following materials databases to assist us in these identifications:

* Fiveash Data Management FTIR Databases (24,470 Total Spectra)
Polymers and Polymer Additives (580 Spectra)
Surfactants (430 Spectra)
Organic Compounds Important to Industrial Processes (950 Spectra)
Minerals and Inorganic Compounds (310 Spectra)
Drugs and the Canadian Forensic Laboratory Spectra (3,750 Spectra)
Vapor Phase Spectra of Organic Compounds (5,220 Spectra)
Comprehensive Organic Compounds (10,300 Spectra)
Polymer, Plasticizer, and Monomer ATR FTIR Spectra (800 Spectra)
Essential Oil and Food Oil ATR FTIR Spectra (430 Spectra)
Inorganic Compound ATR FTIR Spectra (400 Spectra)
Dye, Stain, and Pigment ATR FTIR Spectra (170 Spectra)
Pharmaceuticals and Illicit Drug ATR FTIR Spectra (440 Spectra)
Adhesive and Sealant ATR FTIR Spectra (180 Spectra)
Cosmetic and Personal Care Product ATR FTIR Spectra (570 Spectra)

* JASCO compound database of 900 compounds with emphasis on polymers

* Know It All JASCO Edition compound database with 10,000 compounds with a per use fee to obtain matching spectra

* AME, Inc. Compiled Compound Database

FTIR Spectroscopy

FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared) Spectroscopy, or simply FTIR Analysis, is a failure analysis technique that provides information about the chemical bonding or molecular structure of materials, whether organic or inorganic. It is used in failure analysis to identify unknown materials present in a specimen, and is usually conducted to complement EDX analysis.

The technique works on the fact that bonds and groups of bonds vibrate at characteristic frequencies. A molecule that is exposed to infrared rays absorbs infrared energy at frequencies which are characteristic to that molecule. During FTIR analysis, a spot on the specimen is subjected to a modulated IR beam. The specimen's transmittance and reflectance of the infrared rays at different frequencies is translated into an IR absorption plot consisting of reverse peaks. The resulting FTIR spectral pattern is then analyzed and matched with known signatures of identified materials in the FTIR library.


Unlike SEM inspection or EDX analysis, FTIR spectroscopy does not require a vacuum, since neither oxygen nor nitrogen absorb infrared rays. FTIR analysis can be applied to minute quantities of materials, whether solid, liquid , or gaseous. When the library of FTIR spectral patterns does not provide an acceptable match, individual peaks in the FTIR plot may be used to yield partial information about the specimen.

Single fibers or particles are sufficient enough for material identification through FTIR analysis. Organic contaminants in solvents may also be analyzed by first separating the mixture into its components by gas chromatography, and then analyzing each component by FTIR.