Rapid identification of o-rings, seals and gaskets using the handheld Agilent 4100 ExoScan FTIR

Significance of the topic

In industrial plants correct selection and identification of o-rings seals and gaskets is essential for preventing leaks ensuring safety and maintaining process efficiency

Goals and overview of the study

This application note evaluates the capability of a handheld FTIR analyzer to rapidly and reliably identify carbon black filled and non-filled elastomeric sealing materials on site

Used instrumentation

The study employed an Agilent 4100 ExoScan FTIR system equipped with a spherical germanium ATR element and Agilent MicroLab FTIR software

Methodology

• Fourteen samples covering nine elastomer classes were sourced including fluorosilicone silicone viton EPDM neoprene butyl kalrez NBR polyurethane and natural rubber
• Each sample was pressed lightly against the spherical Ge ATR crystal to obtain non-destructive contact
• Spectra were collected by co-adding 20-second interferograms at 8 cm⁻¹ resolution
• Initial spectra formed an onboard reference library and subsequent unknown samples were matched using real-time library search and correlation scoring

Main results and discussion

High-quality infrared spectra were obtained for all materials with minimal baseline distortion thanks to the shallow penetration depth of the germanium ATR
All 14 test samples returned the correct first-match identification with similarity scores typically above 0.5
Lightly filled elastomers such as silicone and fluorosilicone yielded close second matches from the same polymer class when filler content was low
Highly filled samples such as NBR showed greater differentiation due to varying carbon black levels

Benefits and practical applications

• Non-destructive on-site analysis without the need to cut or alter seals
• Rapid results within seconds enable immediate material verification and reduce downtime
• Portable and easy-to-use solution suitable for field and factory environments
• Reliable identification of a broad range of elastomers including traditionally challenging carbon black filled samples

Future trends and potential applications

• Expansion of spectral libraries to cover more specialized elastomers and compound formulations
• Integration of machine learning algorithms for enhanced pattern recognition and automated material classification
• Coupling handheld FTIR with process monitoring systems for real-time quality control and predictive maintenance
• Adoption in other industries such as aerospace food and pharmaceuticals for on-site material authentication

Conclusion

The Agilent 4100 ExoScan FTIR with spherical Ge ATR delivers a robust and portable method for rapid verification of elastomeric sealing materials
Its non-destructive approach high spectral quality and user-friendly software support reliable on-site identification of both carbon black filled and non-filled o-rings seals and gaskets

References

• Seelenbinder J Rapid identification of o-rings seals and gaskets using the handheld Agilent 4100 ExoScan FTIR Application note Agilent Technologies Danbury CT USA November 23 2015