What is FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy)?
Coal is a complex sedimentary material derived form plant remains. Coal originated as peat deposits formed in prehistoric swamps through the accumulation of plant components. Coal is therefore a very diverse set of organic chemicals. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) is a powerful tool for probing the functional groups in coal. Functional groups are chemical structures which are bonded to aromatic carbon rings. It is at these rings that chemical reactions take place. FTIR uses a beam of infrared light to identify molecular structures by the absorption of infrared light at different frequencies. FTIR is used as a nondestructive method of analyzing functional groups or two bonded atoms found within the frequency range of the beam as it scans through the sample.
