Identification of polymers using handheld Raman spectroscopy

This Application Note demonstrates the fast and non-destructive handheld Raman spectroscopic identification of polymers – including ABS, PE, PS, PET, and PMMA – of different colors after building a suitable library. Measurements with the Mira M-1 handheld Raman spectrometer do not require sample preparation and furnish instant results that identify polymer samples unambiguously.

Introduction

Today’s industry, but also daily life, cannot be imagined without polymers. Handheld Raman spectroscopy is uniquely suited for the identification of commonly used polymers, because evident results are obtained within seconds. Furthermore, because Raman analysis is nondestructive, later use or recycling of the sample remains unrestricted. In this study, a library of widespread polymers of different colors was built and subsequently used for the identification of unknown polymer samples.