US 12,345,634 B2
Method and apparatus for detecting an amorphous and/or crystalline structure of phosphate and/or sulphate salts on the surface of a substrate or within a substrate
Roger Bollstrom, Zofingen (CH); and Gilbert Botty, Maastricht (NL)
Assigned to OMYA INTERNATIONAL AG, Oftringen (CH)
Appl. No. 18/257,379
Filed by OMYA INTERNATIONAL AG, Oftringen (CH)
PCT Filed Dec. 22, 2021, PCT No. PCT/EP2021/087186
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 14, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/136490, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 30, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 20216916 (EP), filed on Dec. 23, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0019361 A1, Jan. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. G01N 21/3563 (2014.01); G01N 21/88 (2006.01); G02B 7/36 (2021.01); G01N 21/47 (2006.01)
CPC G01N 21/3563 (2013.01) [G01N 21/8803 (2013.01); G02B 7/36 (2013.01); G01N 2021/4735 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for detecting an amorphous and/or crystalline structure of phosphate and/or sulphate salts on the surface of a substrate or within a substrate, the method comprising the steps of:
i) providing a Long-Wave-Infrared, LWIR, imaging system, the LWIR imaging system comprising:
a) an infrared light emitting source configured to emit infrared light over the whole range of 8 to 14 μm,
b) a LWIR detecting device configured to detect an intensity of electromagnetic radiation scattered, emitted and/or reflected by the substrate and the amorphous and/or crystalline structure of phosphate and/or sulphate salts; and
c) a control circuitry for controlling the LWIR detecting device;
ii) providing a substrate comprising an amorphous and/or crystalline structure of phosphate and/or sulphate salts on the surface of the substrate or within the substrate;
iii) irradiating the provided substrate with the infrared light emitting source;
iv) acquiring, using the LWIR detecting device, a stream of a plurality of temporally consecutive images of the substrate and the amorphous and/or crystalline structure of phosphate and/or sulphate salts irradiated with the infrared light emitting source; and
v) selecting, based on processing the acquired stream of images with the control circuitry, at least one focused image, in which the amorphous and/or crystalline structure of phosphate and/or sulphate salts is substantially in focus of the LWIR detecting device.