Color measurements spectrophotometry

Many analytes listed in Table 1 have been measured spectrophotometri-cally in seawater for some time, including many metal ions and some gases, although spectrophotometry is the preferred method for only a minority. Some analytes, like alkanes, are spectrophotometrically silent, or do not form colored complexes with other reagents. Similarly, individual nuclides cannot be distinguished by classical spectrophotometry, and many of the other analytes, such as halogenated pesticides and metal alkyls, are more easily determined by other methods, such as gas chromatography with electron capture detection, or emission spectroscopy. Indeed, many of the analytes, such as zinc or copper, are present at trace levels and are not measurable by spectrophotometry. 

See also Asbestos. Color Measurement. Forensic Sciences Thin-Layer Chromatography. Gas Chromatography Pyrolysis Mass Spectrometry Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. Microscopy Applications Forensic. Spectrophotometry Diode Array. Textiles Natural Synthetic. X-Ray Absorption and Diffraction X-Ray Diffraction - Powder. X-Ray Fluorescence and Emission X-Ray Fluorescence Theory Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence. 

See alsa Chemometrics and Statistics Multivariate Calibration Techniques. Color Measurement. Extraction Solvent Extraction Principles. Flow Injection Analysis Detection Techniques. Food and Nutritional Analysis Water and Minerals. Kinetic Methods Principles and Instrumentation Catalytic Techniques. Optical Spectroscopy Detection Devices. Spectrophotometry Overview Derivative Techniques Biochemical Applications Pharmaceutical Applications. Spot Tests. Water Analysis Overview. 

It becomes increasingly apparent that color in foods will be measured in one of two ways by abridged spectrophotometry, or by direct color measurement, preferably in terms of the 1931 C.I.E. conventions in either the original C.I.E. color space or one of its more useful transformations. One may also anticipate increased use (when applicable) of carefully prepared plastic material standards which can be cleaned and polished as often as necessary, for nonmetameric matches delimiting tolerances acceptable in a given color grade for a food. 

ASTM Committee E-12 (1994). ASTM Standards on Color Measurement and Appearance, 4th Edition. ASTM. A compendium on measurement techniques and use of artifact standards. An invaluable source for the use of tranter standards in spectrophotometry. 

To summarize, let us look at some of these terms again. Spectroscopy means to look at the spectmm, but not necessarily the visible, nor even the electromagnetic, spectrum. There are emission, absorption, visible, ultraviolet, infrared, nuclear magnetic resonance, and mass spectroscopies—this is the broadest term of all and this is not an exhaustive list Spectrometry means HteraUy to measure the spectrum, and we can apply the word to all the types of spectroscopies named above. Spectrophotometry means literally to measure the spectrum with photons, and so can only include those types of spectrometries thatutiUze photons in this term. Even more particular is colorimetry, which means literally to measure color, a term that can be ambiguous because it includes (1) a form of spectrophotometry and (2) a color measurement system based on color primaries for color-matching. 

Many times, the optical clarity of nanocomposite can be seen by looking through films produced with these materials. But optical properties can be evaluated by different techniques, such as gloss, haze, and color measurements and UV-visible spectrophotometry. Furthermore, optical analysis such as optical microscopy can be applied to verify the dispersion of the particles in a matrix that can be related to transparency of the nanocomposites. All these techniques applied on nanocomposites based on polymeric matrix and different kinds of nanoparticles are discussed and illustrated in this chapter. 

Waxes and Asphaltenes—by solvent extraction and determination of optical density color by spectrophotometri-cally measuring the absorbance of a solution of the crude oil in isooctane (2,2,4-trimethylpentane) or other suitable solvent. 

Methods are described for determining the extent to which original natural color is preserved in processing and subsequent storage of foods. Color differences may be evaluated indirectly in terms of some physical characteristic of the sample or extracted fraction thereof that is largely responsible for the color characteristics. For evaluation more directly in terms of what the observer actually sees, color differences are measured by reflectance spectrophotometry and photoelectric colorimetry and expressed as differences in psychophysical indexes such as luminous reflectance and chromaticity. The reflectance spectro-photometric method provides time-constant records in research investigation on foods, while photoelectric colorimeters and reflectometers may prove useful in industrial color applications. Psychophysical notation may be converted by standard methods to the colorimetrically more descriptive terms of Munsell hue, value, and chroma. Here color charts are useful for a direct evaluation of results. 

Abridged Spectrophotometry. It is not always necessary to obtain complete spectrophotometric curves in order to measure physical characteristics related to color. The procedure can often be considerably simplified by some abridged form of spectrophotometry. Measurements may be made only at critical wave lengths or wave-length bands, as has been done to determine chlorophyll degradation (1, 8). In such instances the real problem that faces the investigator is to establish the critical wave lengths. 

Generally, measurement of absorption spectra of the colored form of spirobenzopyran is very difficult using normal spectrophotometry, as the colored form is thermally unstable. The absorption spectra of the colored form of 6,8-dinitro-BIPS 7, which is exceptionally stable in DMSO even at 23°C, are shown in Figure 1.4. Generally, it is possible to obtain a reasonable absorption spectrum of the colored form by the use of a rapid scanning spectrophotometer. 

The color of the quinonoid compounds that may be obtained by disproportionation can be sufficiently like that of the radicals to cause confusion if visual observation or broad-band spectrophotometry is used.11 For example, Preckel and Selwood, using paramagnetism as a measure of the amount of radical, reported that solutions of triphenyl-methyl derivatives more or less rapidly lost their paramagnetism. The decomposed solutions were still highly colored, but the color was no longer dependent on the temperature as it is in the case of a radical-dimer equilibrium mixture. What is more striking, and an even more subtle and dirtier trick on the part of nature, is the fact that Preckel and Selwood s non-paramagnetic solutions were still rapidly bleached by exposure to the air. It is clear that radical-like reactivity is not a safe criterion for the presence of radicals. It is also clear that the ebullioscopic method is particularly unsatisfactory in view of the excellent chance for decomposition. 

Spectrophotometry has been used in the measurement of the dissociation constants of some weak acids using the color of the ion as an indicator. The dissociation constant of tris-(/>-nitrophenyl)-methane in ethanolic sodium ethoxide at 25° is 3.66 X 10-18.848 Another method makes use of the difference in optical rotation between menthol and sodium mentholate to find the position of the equilibrium 844... 

Of course, not all dissolved ions produce colored solutions, and therefore not all ions in solution can be quantified by colorimetry. Noncolored solutions can sometimes, however, be converted to colored solutions by introducing chromophore species which complex with (i.e., attach themselves to) the target ion to produce a colored solution, which may then be measured by UV/visible colorimetry. An important archaeological example of this is the determination of phosphorus in solution (which is colorless) by com-plexation with a molybdenum compound, which gives a blue solution (see below). The term colorimetry applies strictly only to analytical techniques which use the visible region of the spectrum, whereas spectrophotometry may be applied over a wider range of the electromagnetic spectrum. 

Spectrophotometry (or colorimetry) has been used to measure chlorine dioxide in water using indicators that change colors when oxidized by chlorine dioxide. Spectrophotometric analyzers determine the concentration of chlorine dioxide by measuring the optical absorbance of the indicator in the sample solution. The absorbance is proportional to the concentration of the chlorine dioxide in water. Indicators used for this technique include jV,jV-diethyl-p-phenylenediamine, chlorophenol red, and methylene blue (APHA 1998 Fletcher and Hemming 1985 Quentel et al. 1994 Sweetin et al. 1996). For example, chlorophenol red selectively reacts with chlorine dioxide at pH 7 with a detection limit of 0.12 mg/L. The interferences from chlorine may be reduced by the addition of oxalic acid, sodium cyclamate, or thioacetamide (Sweetin et al. 1996). 

The metal may he analyzed hy atomic absorption or emission spectrophotometry (at trace levels). Other techniques include X-ray diffraction, neutron activation analysis, and various colorimetric methods. Aluminum digested with nitric acid reacts with pyrocatechol violet or Eriochrome cyanide R dye to form a colored complex, the absorbance of which may be measured by a spectrophotometer at 535 nm. 

Elemental composition H 4.11%, Mo 48.94%, N 14.29% O 32.65. (NH4)2Mo04 is digested with nitric acid and the molybdenum metal is analyzed by atomic absorption or emission spectrophotometry. It is dissociated to ammonia, which may be measured by titration or by an ion-specific electrode technique (see Ammonia). Ammonium molybdate reacts under acid conditions with dilute orthophosphate solution to form molybdophosphoric acid which, in the presence of vanadium, forms yellow vanadomolybdophosphoric acid the intensity of the yeUow color may be measured by a spectrophotometer at 400 to 490 nm and is proportional to the trace amount of ammonium molybdate. 

Cadmium in acidified aqueous solution may be analyzed at trace levels by various instrumental techniques such as flame and furnace atomic absorption, and ICP emission spectrophotometry. Cadmium in solid matrices is extracted into aqueous phase by digestion with nitric acid prior to analysis. A much lower detection level may be obtained by ICP-mass spectrometry. Other instrumental techniques to analyze this metal include neutron activation analysis and anodic stripping voltammetry. Cadmium also may be measured in aqueous matrices by colorimetry. Cadmium ions react with dithizone to form a pink-red color that can be extracted with chloroform. The absorbance of the solution is measured by a spectrophotometer and the concentration is determined from a standard calibration curve (APHA, AWWA and WEF. 1999. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, 20th ed. Washington, DC American Public Health Association). The metal in the solid phase may be determined nondestructively by x-ray fluorescence or diffraction techniques. 

Cesium can be analyzed by various instrumental techniques including atomic absorption and atomic emission spectrophotometry and various x-ray methods. The most sensitive wavelength for AA measurement is 852.1 nm. It imparts a reddish violet color to flame. It is identified by specific line spectra having two bright lines in the blue region and several other lines in the red, yellow, and green. 

Elemental composition Au 64.94%, Cl 35.06%. The aqueous solution may be analyzed for gold by AA spectrophotometry (see Gold). Chloride ion may be determined by chloride ion-selective electrode or ion chromatography. The solution must be diluted sufficiently for these measurements. Colorimetric methods are not suitable because the solution itself is colored. 

As a strong base, the strength of caustic soda solution can be determined by titration with a standard solution of strong acid using a color indicator or by potentiometric titration using a pH meter. Also, concentration of sodium in an aqueous solution can be measured by AA or ICP spectrophotometry. 

The term colorimetry is generally restricted to the visual comparison and matching of the color of a standard solution with that of an unknown one, whereas spectrophotometry involves the use of a photoelectric cell which measures a narrow band of wavelengths for transmittance. 

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