Spectrophotometer in Tex le: Components, Principle and Uses
Spectrophotometer in Tex le Industry:
Colour measurement instrumenta on is very varied. It varies from large top of the range
scanning spectrophotometers, maybe coupled with reflectance accessories through bench-top
instruments, to hand-held small portable instruments. The instrumenta on may be set up to
make a variety of different color measurements or to only make measurements on one
par cular color scale.
A spectrophotometer is a special instrument that measures how much light a substance
absorbs. It is used to determine the color informa on from the op c proper es of the
materials. Spectrophotometer is a photometric device that measures spectral transmi ance,
spectral reflectance rela ve spectral emitance. It compares light leaving from the object with
that incident on it at each wavelength. According to Beer’s law, the amount of light absorbed by
a medium is propor onal to the concentra on of the absorbing material or solute present. Thus
the concentra on of a colored solute in a solu on may be determined in the lab by measuring
the absorbency of light at a given wavelength. Wavelength (o en abbreviated as lambda) is
measured in nm. The spectrophotometer allows selec on of a wavelength pass through the
solu on. Usually, the wavelength chosen which corresponds to the absorp on maximum of the
solute.
Absorp on Spectroscopic methods of analysis rank among the most widespread and powerful
tools for quan ta ve analysis. The use of a spectrophotometer to determine the extent of
absorp on of various wavelengths of visible light by a given solu on is commonly known as
colorimetry. This method is used to determine concentra ons of various chemicals which can
give colors either directly or a er addi on of some other chemicals.
As an example, in the analysis of phosphate, a reac on with orthophosphate is made, to form
the highly colored molybdenum blue compound. The light absorp on of this compound can
then be measured in a spectrophotometer. Some compounds absorb light in other than the
visible range of the spectrum. For example, nitrates absorb radia on of 220 nm wave length in
the UV region.
Absorp on Spectroscopic methods of analysis are based upon the fact that compounds ABSORB
light radia on of a specific wavelength. In the analysis, the amount of light radia on absorbed
by a sample is measured. The light absorp on is directly related to the concentra on of the
colored compound in the sample.
The wavelength (l) of Maximum Absorp on is known for different compounds. For example, the
colored compound formed for analysis of Phosphate (molybdenum blue) has maximum light
absorp on at l= 640 nm. Conversely, a minimum amount of light is transmi ed through the
compound at l= 640 nm.
Instruments of Spectrophotometer:
All spectrophotometer instruments designed to measure the absorp on of radiant energy have
the basic components as follows :
1. A stable source of radiant energy (Light);
2. A wavelength selector to isolate a desired wavelength from the source (filter or
monochromator);
3. Transparent container (cuve e) for the sample and the blank;
4. A radia on detector (phototube) to convert the radiant energy received to a measurable
signal; and a readout device that displays the signal from the detector.
Figure 1: Components of a
spectrophotometer
The energy source is to provide a stable source of light radia on, whereas the wavelength
selector permits separa on of radia on of the desired wavelength from other radia on. Light
radia on passes through a glass container with sample. The detector measures the energy a er
it has passed through the sample. The readout device calculates the amount of light absorbed
by the sample displays the signal from the detector as absorbance or transmission.
The spectrophotometers which are used for such measurements may vary from simple and
rela vely inexpensive colorimeters to highly sophis cated and expensive instruments that
automa cally scan the ability of a solu on to absorb radia on over a wide range of wavelengths
and record the results of these measurements.
One instrument cannot be used to measure absorbance at all wavelengths because a given
energy source and energy detector is suitable for use over only a limited range of wavelengths.
True linearity between absorbance and concentra on according to Beer-Lambert Law requires
the use of monochroma c light. In addi on, a narrow band of light ensures a greater selec vity
since substance with absorp on peaks in other close by wavelengths are less likely to interfere.
Further, it increases sensi vity as there is a greatest change in absorbance per increment of
change in concentra on.
Both filters and monochromators are used to restrict the radia on wavelength. Photometers
make use of filters, which func on by absorbing large pro ons of the spectrum while
transmi ng rela vely limited wavelength regions. Spectrophotometers are instruments
equipped with monochromators that permit the con nuous varia on and selec on of
wavelength. The effec ve bandwidth of a monochromator that is sa sfactory for most
applica ons is about from 1 to 5 nm.
The sample containers, cells or cuve es, must be fabricated from material that is transparent to
radia on in the spectral region of interest. The commonly used materials for different wave
length regions are:
Quartz or fused silica: UV to 2 mm in I R
Silicate glass: Above 350 nm to 2 mm in I R
Plas c: visible region
Polished NaCI or AgCI: Wave lengths longer than 2mm
Cuve es or cells are provided in pairs that have been carefully matched to make possible the
transmission through the solvent and the sample. Accurate spectrophotometric analysis
requires the use of good quality, matched cells. These should be regularly checked against one
another to detect differences that can arise from scratches, etching and wear. The most
common cell path for UV-visible region is 1 cm. For reasons of economy, cylindrical cells are
frequently used. Care must be taken to duplicate the posi on of such cells with respect to the
light path; otherwise, varia ons in path length and in reflec on losses will introduce errors.
Diagram and Specifica on of a Modern Spectrophotometer:
The spectrophotometer used for the measurement of dye solu ons is usually a doublebeam
instrument, though of a different structural design than that used for reflectance
measurements. The instrument shines monochroma c light (light of a single wavelength) onto
two iden cal cells, one of which contains the dye solu on and the other the pure solvent
(usually water in the case of water-soluble dyes), and records the percentage of light
transmi ed through the dye solu on, compared with that transmi ed through the pure
solvent. In the case of a recording spectrophotometer, the essen al structural features of which
are shown in Figure 2, the prism slowly rotates so that gradually each wavelength passes
through the narrow slit and on through the cells, so that the transmission spectrum is obtained,
wavelength by wavelength. The recording devices give a con nuous plot of transmission against
Characteris cs Specifica on
Measuring geometry de:8, di:8
Spectral range 360–750 nm
Number of wavelengths 40
Bandwidth 10 nm
Wavelength accuracy 0.05 nm
Inter-instrument agreement ΔE∗ab≤ 0.3 , ΔE∗ab≤ 0.15 average BCRA II les
Photometric range 0–250%
Photometric resolu on 0.001%
Measurement repeatability ΔE∗ab≤ 0.01
Measurement me 3s
wavelength.
Figure 2: Schema c diagram of a double-beam recording spectrophotometer
Dye solu ons absorb light in the visible region of the spectrum. The amount of light transmi ed
(the light which is not absorbed) depends on the color of the dye and the wavelength of the
incident light.
In addi on to plo ng the percentage transmission of a dye solu on against wavelength,
spectrophotometers also have the facility to plot the absorbance against concentra on and
indeed this is the most usual mode in which spectrophotometers operate.
Characteris cs and specifica ons of a modern reference spectrophotometer:
Tex le Color Matching Procedures by Spectrophotometer:
As explained above, the Beer-Lambert Law forms the basis of the measurement procedure. The
amount of light radia on absorbed by a compound is directly related to the concentra on of
the compound.
Generally buyer gives a fabric sample swatch or Pantone number of a specific shade to the
manufacturer. Then the manufacturer gives the fabric sample to lab dip development
department to match the shade of the fabric. A er ge ng the sample they analyze the color of
the sample manually. It is a laborious, me-consuming and cri cal task and needs skills and
exper se of the personnel developing the lab dip. On the other hand, to save me and money,
they can use computer colour matching system (CCMS).
Figure 3: Tex le color matching by a spectrophotometer (Image courtesy: [Link])
The general tex le color matching procedure of spectrophotometer consists of 5 steps:
1. Prepare samples to make colored compound
2. Make series of standard solu ons of known concentra ons and treat them in the same
manner as the sample for making colored compounds
3. Set spectrophotometer to l of maximum light absorp on
4. Measure light absorbance of standards
5. Plot standard curve: Absorbance vs. Concentra on,
Uses of Spectrophotometer in Tex le Industry:
In the tex le industry, using a spectrophotometer to capture both color and appearance on a
physical sample has greatly improved quality, consistency, and speed to market. To make color
approvals on-screen, the digital color file must also be color-accurate when it is imported into
the design so ware. The use of spectrophotometers spans various scien fic fields, such as
physics, materials science, chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology. They are widely used
in many industries including semiconductors, laser and op cal manufacturing, prin ng and
forensic examina on, as well in laboratories for the study of chemical substances. Ul mately, a
spectrophotometer is able to determine, depending on the control or calibra on, what
substances are present in a target and exactly how much through calcula ons of observed
wavelengths.
