Seeing the light
Most of the ideas for recognising additives are based on a technique called spectroscopy - firing a laser or other light at the surface of the sample. This makes the material in the sample emit a 'fingerprint' - a unique pattern of energy that the machines can read and recognise.
Spectrometers are used by lab researchers across a range of scientific fields - from genetics to physics - but that doesn't mean the machines are ready for dirty, rough plastic production lines.
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Spectrometers are widely used in science laboratories to analyse materials.
University of Lincoln |
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