PORTABLE VS BENCHTOP NIR SPECTROMETERS FOR RAPID CHEMICAL ANALYSIS: A STUDY WITH DIFFERENT SAMPLES

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy offers numerous advantages in analytical chemistry with wide-ranging applications in various fields. In this study, spectra were collected from 33 different samples using both portable and benchtop NIR spectrometers. The chemical composition of the samples, specifically oxygen-hydrogen (O-H), nitrogen-hydrogen (N-H), and carbon-hydrogen (C-H) bonds, was determined through spectral analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to aid in interpreting the spectral results and in comparing the performance of the two spectrometers, benchtop and portable. The results showed that the benchtop NIR instrument provides more detailed spectral data than portable instrument, since the benchtop NIR presents a longer wavenumber (12,482 to 3,996 cm-1) than the portable instrument (11,104 to 5,881 cm-1). At the same time, the portable NIR spectrometer presents a viable alternative for fast, easy, and cost-effective analysis. In summary, both instruments can provide significant analytical insights, with the portable NIR being particularly useful for its practicality and cost.