ILIM Solutions for Microplastics Analysis

Bruker has helped users build particle‑driven microplastics laboratories using FT‑IR, IR laser imaging, and Raman. IR Laser Imaging (ILIM) is the high‑throughput option: QCL‑based hyperspectral imaging that delivers full‑filter chemical maps fast, with push‑button automation for routine, high‑volume monitoring.

<30 min

Total turnaround time.

Total turnaround times below 30 min for whole 25 mm filters independent of the number of particles. Typical full-filter measurement is ~13 minutes; evaluation is automated using machine-learning-based software solutions.

Automated

Push-button data acquisition and AI-driven analysis for up to three filters in parallel.

Full hardware automation with "start-and-walk-away" workflows, paired with AI-powered evaluation for rapid, consistent results.

Unbiased

Whole-filter imaging.

No pre-screening, no particle selection. Direct hyperspectral imaging of the entire filter eliminates selection bias and avoids subsampling errors. All micrometer-sized particles are characterized in a single measurement.

Scalable

Microplastics analysis.

Process more filters per day and ensure consistent, reproducible results. Compatibility with all common filter materials supports evolving project requirements and application needs.

How Microplastics are Analyzed by ILIM

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IR Laser Imaging Analyzes Full Filters in under 30 Minutes.

Routine, full‑filter microplastics workflow, capturing complete 25 mm filters with a total turnaround time below 30 minutes. As an imaging approach, measurement time is not dependent by particle count. You get a predictable throughput whether the filter is lightly or heavily loaded.

How Many Particles? Which Polymers? What Sizes and Shapes?

Built to report which polymers are present, how many particles, and their size/shape distribution. Imaging-based infrared microscopy assigns a chemical identity to each detected particle and converts full‑filter spectral data into a particle list with polymer class, dimensions, and morphology.

An Easy End-to-End Solution with excellent Reporting

Start it, walk away, and receive a particle list with polymer ID, size/shape metrics, confidence measures, plus summary statistics and maps. Automated acquisition and integrated AI‑driven evaluation convert large spectral datasets into report‑ready outputs.

The Benefits of ILIM

The fastest full-filter IR imaging. ILIM enables high-throughout microplastic analysis by delivering complete analysis of 25 mm filter samples in less than 30 minutes, independent of total particle load. This includes both spectral acquisition and automated data evaluation. This speed is made possible by a tunable IR laser source and the largest field of view currently available for IR microscopy (2.2 x 2.0 mm²).
No selection bias. Particles are detected, identified, and characterized based on their unique chemical signature. That means transparent, dark, or visually ambiguous particles are still captured, supporting statistically representative particle counts, size classes, and polymer composition.
Start the experiment and walk away. ILIM is designed for fully automated operation, with guided software workflows (ParticlePlus™) and automated system validation. This ensures consistent, reproducible results across operators, samples, and projects, making ILIM the ideal solution for large-scale routine microplastic analysis.