Investigation of Effect of KBr Matrix on Drift Infrared Spectra of Some Minerals

Abstract

Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform (DRIFT) spectroscopy was used in this work to investigate the effect of KBr on infrared spectra of calcite and illite/smectite. 30 mg of each of these minerals were dispersed in 270 mg of KBr and their drifts spectra were obtained and analysed using OMNIC software. Same minerals samples were also run in DRIFT spectroscopy without being dispersed in KBr matrix and their spectra were obtained and analysed. After the investigation it was observed that minerals dispersed in KBr have spectra that are better than those run without KBr in terms of peaks resolution, repeatability and peaks height. Therefore, KBr played a vital role for better DRIFTS spectra which aid for the diagnosis of functional groups of different minerals useful during shale gas exploration processes.

Keywords: Calcite, DRIFTS, illite/smectite KBr, Mineral samples