Compact FT-IR Spectrometer ALPHA II

Robust FT-IR Analysis for any Application

What is the ALPHA II?

The ALPHA II is a compact FT-IR spectrometer with a footprint the size of a laptop. It is used for chemical analysis and enables you to do quality control, quantifications and verification of raw materials.

ALPHA II Features:

Compact and resilient design
Easy adaptation to all sample types
Robust RockSolid^TM interferometer
Long-life CenterGlow^TM source
Long-Life diode laser
Intuitive operation and software
Optional: integrated touch PC
Optional: inert to high-humidity

ALPHA II Benefits:

Analyze any sample type
Save space in your laboratory
Enjoy maintenance-free operation
Apply it in any work environment
Train new users in a few minutes
Be well-prepared for new tasks
Low energy consumption

ALPHA II Applications:

Quality Control
Polymers & Plastics
Pharmaceuticals
Material science
Automotive & Electronics
Mining & exploration
Art restoration
Forensics

Ease of Use and Efficiency

Operating the ALPHA II is meant to be effortless and straightforward, regardless of whether you use the integrated touch PC or an external computer.

On one hand, OPUS TOUCH offers you minimal training time for new users and an accelerated analysis experience. In addition, the optional touch PC further reduces the overall footprint of the system, making it easier to transport the instrument.

On the other hand, the use of an external PC offers you an even richer feature set that leaves nothing to be desired from the most advanced users. The desktop version also features guided workflows for standard tasks, supporting FT-IR beginners.

Design Follows Application

The ALPHA II lets you chemically analyze any kind of sample, may it be solid, liquid or gas. Valuable paintings, brilliant diamonds and excellent wines can also be analyzed by the ALPHA II easily and efficiently.

At the core of this approach are the QuickSnap^TM sampling modules, which allow the instrument to be tailored to the specific analytical task. These modules are safely and securely locked into place, making the ALPHA II a truly dedicated analyzer.

And if the requirements change? Then the spectrometer can be adapted just as quickly to new tasks. That’s why the design of the ALPHA II will always follow your application.

A RockSolid™ Foundation

We are proud to say that the ALPHA II is the most robust and reliable compact IR spectrometer available. Its RockSolid^TM interferometer is wear-free and resistant to shocks and vibrations.

Apart from that, it offers an advanced stabilization of the IR source and is equipped with a durable diode laser operated by patented technology that consistently achieves outstanding wavenumber accuracy and spectral stability.

No matter what happens during your measurements, your spectra will always look exactly as they should. You can count on its reliability. Everyday. Anytime.

It’s the swiss-knife of FT-IR spectroscopy

We boldly state that the ALPHA II will succeed in all FT-IR applications in any industry, whether it is quantification, identification of unknowns, verification of raw materials, quality control or basic entry-level research.

Want to know more? Contact us!

Applications of ALPHA II

Polymers

There is almost no other field in which the ALPHA II is applied as intensively as in the polymer industry. The ALPHA II is used to inspect incoming raw materials, test finished products and investigate coated surfaces. One of the biggest user benefits, are Bruker's dedicated, up-to-date and ready-to-use methods to identify and characterize recently introduced polymers and fillers.

Watch how ALPHA II is applied in polymer industries:

Industrial Manufacturing & Automotive

Infrared spectroscopy is a decisive tool in industrial applications, whether automated and in-line or manual and off-line. The ALPHA II is used to investigate coatings, used oils, finished products and much more.

Read how used engine oil is analyzed by ALPHA II

Artefacts & Jewellery

Historical works of art and jewellery have one thing in common: both are precious. The ALPHA II is applied in the restoration of historical paintings, buildings and artwork, and is also an affordable tool for the identification and type classification of diamonds and other gemstones.

Paintings and other artworks are restored with the help of ALPHA II

Pharmaceuticals

Early on, Bruker decided to design their software with the needs of pharmaceutical companies in mind. Therefore, OPUS and OPUS Touch follow the ALCOA+ principle and are 100% compliant with all major pharmacopoeias and of course 21 CFR part 11. Whether locally or on a server, the ALPHA II ensures the integrity and security of your data.

Watch how ALPHA II is used in the quality control of incoming goods:

Forensic Drug Analysis

ALPHA II offers the exclusive TICTAC spectral library for drug analysis that contains traditional as well as newly introduced drugs and illegal substances. On top of that, its ease-of-use and the ability to quickly move it between operation sites make it an incredibly useful tool for governmental institutions like police, border control or in harm prevention.

Read about our dedicated solution to forensic drug analysis with ALPHA II

Food & Beverage

As a reliable analyzer for wine, must and juices, the ALPHA II has found widespread use across the world. It analyzes sugar, alcohol and other contents in an efficient, fast and affordable manner. It is also used in FOA (foreign object analysis), identifying unknown contaminations in processed or packaged foods.

Read how ALPHA II is used in the wine industry

Teaching

It is clear, that die ALPHA II is the most modern approach to FT-IR spectroscopy. Its optional touch-PC gets students interested and quickly involved with science. Its rugged, maintenance-free design makes sure that the instrument withstands even the toughest chemistry teaching labs.

Read how students get easy results with ALPHA II

Quantifications

Several accessories and toolkits are available to turn the ALPHA II into a quantification power house. Whether you are checking for water in oil, API concentration, the amount of deuterium oxide in H2O or even the residual ammonia in parquet flooring. The software supports diverse quantification methods and facilitates reporting and documentation of results.

Watch how D₂O is quantified using the ALPHA II

Environmental

One of the many environmental applications is the analysis of microplastics. Particles >500 µm are placed onto the ALPHA II, and a special “high pressure” accessory guarantees spectral quality. Additionally, the ALPHA II is also used to analyze and classify soils as well as other environmental pollutants.

Read how FTIR is used for the analysis of microplastics

QuickSnap™ FT-IR Sampling Modules

User-replaceable QuickSnap™ sampling modules allow the analysis of almost any kind of sample (e.g. solids, liquids or gases). Let's have a quick look at the different modules.

Universal sampling module

As the name suggests, this is a truly universal sampling module for all kinds of samples: solids, liquids and gases. It offers a transmission sample compartment with a 2x3" standard sample holder and also accommodates a variety of liquid and gas cells. Example applications are the measurement of KBr pellets, quantification of components in liquids and the quality control of polymer films/foils.

DRIFT

Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) is a special IR sampling technique. Our DRIFT module was designed for easy sampling and high spectral data quality. This results in an unmatched time-per-analysis for FTIR diffuse reflection measurements of a variety of solid samples: powders, inorganic material, gemstones, papers, textiles and others.

Platinum ATR

It’s the high-performance ATR accessory for any application. It features a monolithic diamond crystal that withstands very hard or corrosive materials. It is tightly soldered into tungsten carbide and comes with a 10-year warranty. An ergonomic one-finger clamping mechanism simplifies sampling and cleaning, and the 360° rotation gives you plenty of room to maneuver your solid and liquid samples.

Eco-ATR

This ATR combines cost-efficiency with great performance. It features a large, high-throughput ZnSe crystal that is suitable for most applications that do not involve very hard or acidic samples. It is easy to apply, convenient to clean and analyzes solids or liquids. Watch our video featuring the Eco-ATR.

Modules for gas analysis

Gas analysis grows more important. Bruker offers dedicated gas analyzers, like the OMEGA, but of course, the versatile ALPHA II can also be equipped with dedicated gas sampling modules for transmission IR spectroscopy. Different pathlengths are available addressing the needs of simple quality control of gases up to the detection of lowly concentrated gas components. Suitable heating options are available.

Reflection modules

As the ALPHA II works facing in any direction, so can your reflection measurements. Point the instrument on ceiling murals to analyze ancient paint, or place large polymer work-pieces in front of the instrument. Our reflection modules allow contactless and non-destructive FT-IR analysis of bulky and structured samples. The integrated video camera helps finding the area of interest and therefore ensures spectral data quality.

Multireflection-ATR

The Multireflection-ATR is a special tool for the analysis of pastes, gels and liquids. Its horizontal, multi-reflection ZnSe crystal offers the extra-high light throughput needed for the analysis of low concentrated sample components. Example applications are the analysis of APIs in pharmaceutical formulations or quality control of tar/bitumen. Watch our video to learn more.