Precise analysis of water, soil and air in environmental analysis applications
Climate change and the pollution of soil, air and water increasingly threaten the balance of our habitat and pose numerous global challenges.
Microplastics, pesticides, tensides and many other substances pose a high risk potential for humans & animals. The versatile methods and tools of environmental analytics help to analyse hazardous substances that pollute our environment.
Increase precision, sensitivity and efficiency of environmental analysis systems
Strict guidelines, such as those in the Drinking Water Ordinance, place high demands on analytical equipment for monitoring water quality. A high number of analytical questions must be answered by highly sensitive and robust measurement technology. Ultra-black coating products from ACKTAR can be used in numerous measuring devices and instruments in environmental analysis to make them more sensitive, accurate and efficient. Analytical applications can also be optimised in the industrial environment; here is a selection of possible areas of application:
Gas detection technology
Toxic or flammable gases and vapours can sometimes be difficult for human sensory perception to identify. Infrared gas detection & gas warning systems increase operational safety by reliably monitoring hazardous substances/gas or checking the oxygen concentration in industrial applications. Especially in hazardous environments, increased emphasis must be placed on the reliability of such gas detection systems.
Aerosol particle measurement technology
Potential health risks from inhaling fine dust or ultrafine particles that can settle deep in the lungs are the subject of many scientific studies. High-tech measuring instruments enable the precise measurement of aerosols and the detection of airborne particles in a range from less than one nanometre to 35 micrometres. The spectrometers used to determine the number concentration and size of nanoparticles require the highest level of detection capability and reliability. After all, they form the basis for workplace health, safety and indoor air quality, in that they allow health and safety officers, e.g. in the gas & oil industry or at waste disposal sites, to detect hazardous substances and take countermeasures.
Particularly due to current events, in relation to Corona viruses, interest in aerosol distribution and concentrations indoors has increased. Aerosol spectrometers can measure particle size distributions with high temporal resolution. ACKTAR deep black coated components, such as apertures and slit baffles, support stray light optimisation in the measurement system.
Acktar coating products increase the measurement accuracy and thus also the required reliability. The sensor signal of the gas detector or system can be considerably improved by targeted stray light optimisation using an ACKTAR BLACK direct coating in the interior of the housing or of black-coated optomechanical components adjacent to the sensor.
Ion chromotographic analysis
The high selectivity and sensitivity of ion chromatography opens up a wide range of applications for this method in environmental analysis. Its main application is the qualitative and quantitative analysis of anions and cations of all kinds. The water quality can be determined within a very short time on the basis of the concentration of the anions bromide, chloride, nitrate, nitrite, o-phosphate and sulphate.
For the spectroscopic detection methods of ion chromatography, UV/VIS detection, fluorescence detection and refractive index detection, the deep black direct coatings can be used to achieve higher signal strength and measurement quality, for example by the ACKTAR BLACK direct coating of inner housings and slit coatings.
Real-Time Biomonitoring (rtb)
By measuring chlorophyll A fluorescence with spectrofluorometers, for example, the intensity of blue-green algae or microalgae can be determined and used to monitor water quality and the ecological condition of lakes and rivers. Biological early warning systems and toximeters help to identify environmentally harmful substances and mixtures. Areas of application are both the monitoring of raw water in drinking water treatment, of cooling and process water, of bathing waters, but also general environmental monitoring and applications in oceanography.
Fluorometers are highly sensitive, highly specific instruments for the quantification and detection of fluorescence activity. Suppression or avoidance of unwanted light signals at the instrument level of the measurement systems can be achieved with ACKTAR’s deep black products and components, helping to improve detectability, for example by lining the instrument interiors with ACKTAR’s MetalVelvet foil blanks.
We will be delighted to advise you on whether a standard product from our web shop or a ready-coated part according to your customised drawing from our one-stop shop is the best solution for your individual project.
Further fields of application for ACKTAR products.
Do you have a question? Our experts will be happy to hear from you and advise you on the best product for you. Contact Us.
The use of Acktar coatings yield major improvements in a wide range of products and applications.
Visit the following links to find use cases by categories:
Below is a list of our main marketing and contribution areas:
| Market Area | Product application | Performance enhancement | Key words | Recommended Acktar products | Previous solutions |
| Space | Satellite optics Satellite star-trackers Space telescopes James Webb space telescope See other space projects using Acktar Black | Diffuse black material Scattered light reduction Stray-light suppression Low outgassing No particulates | space optics stray light space qualified star trackers high vibration stability | Vacuum Black Magic Black Fractal Black | Aeroglaze black Anodize tiodize |
| Passive thermal control | Energy absorption | space thermal control | Nano Black | ||
| Defense | Cooled and uncooled IR detector parts | Cryogenic compatibility Low outgassing IR absorbing | IR detectors cold shields cooled detectors | Fractal Black Ultra Black Vacuum Black | Black paint |
| Missile seeker parts | Reduce stray light and improve image quality | stray light optical seekers | |||
| Facilitate Detection of Small Targets | |||||
| Enabling Technology For 3rd Generation Imagers | |||||
| Man Recognition and Identificatio | |||||
| Remote sensing targets | High emittance surface Low emittance surface Selective emissivity | Fractal Black Nano Black | |||
| Sensing And Imaging | IR Optical Systems | stray light light absorbing optical noise dark material | Fractal Black Magic Black Ultra Black | ||
| Cameras | |||||
| Thermal cameras | Calibration standard; stray light control | ||||
| Displays | LED arrays – contrast enhancement | Trap scattered and stray photons | contrast optical cross-talk | Magic Black Vacuum Black | |
| Semiconductor – wafer level | Optical detector arrays | Optical signal to noise ratio improvement | pixel delineation cross talk contrast | Magic Black | |
| Pyroelectric detector array elements | Thin absorption layer with low thermal mass | detector thermal sensitivity detector sensitivity | Fractal Black | ||
| Optical MEMS, CMOS sensors, Security sensors | Low reflective & high damage threshold | Patternable thin black film | LithoBlack | ||
| Lab on chip | High specific area, Ligand support properties | Non fluorescence porous biocompatible | High specific surface area | ||
| Semiconductor equipment manufacturing | Process heat dissipation | Energy absorption | process through-put cool down time heat absorption | Fractal Black | |
| UV photo-lithography optics | Ghost image suppression, Secondary photons absorption | UV tolerant coatings improved optics life damage threshold | Vacuum Black Magic Black | ||
| Black matrix, color filters, patterned | light absorbing blackout material black thin film | Litho Black | |||
| Optical Instrumentation and laser technologies | Black bodies | High emissivity | true black | Fractal Black Ultra Black | |
| Lenses rim | Ghost images suppression | low reflectivity | Vacuum Black | ||
| Glass blackening | Black pattern; precise photo mask | light blocking material black film | Vacuum Black | ||
| Internal parts | Undesired reflection elimination | super black | Magic Black | ||
| Laser beam dumps | Energy absorption; high damage thresholds | LIDT laser damage threshold laser energy absorption | LIDT Magic Black Fractal Black | ||
| Laser power meters | Energy absorption; high damage thresholds | high emissivity high damage threshold | |||
| Apertures, baffles | Light trapping, baffling, beam stopping | black-out material | Fractal Black Magic Black | Martin black | |
| Astronomic telescopes | Black diffuse surfaces, ambient light baffles | light absorbing material super dark material | |||
| Automotive Optics | Safety and IR cameras | Infrared optically black material with very low reflectance at grazing angles | Metal Velvet Magic Black Hexa Black | Nextel Flock paper | |
| Black appliques | Minimize reflection, lead to higher signal to noise performance | Self-adhesive black foil, high temperature stability, humidity resistance | |||
| HUD parts | Block out unwanted light | ||||
| Medical Optics | Endoscopes | Stray-light suppression | bio-compatible black coating non-fluorescence black membrane | Metal velvet Magic Black | |
| Raman spectroscopy | Black out material | ||||
| Capacitors | High-performance electrodes | Ultra-high specific surface area | capacitor electrodes | Other products | |
| Solar Energy | Thermal solar collectors | Black absorber | solar selective coating | Nano Black | |
| Commercial | Digital cinema cameras | Stray-light management | stray light satin black, matte black, flat black | Black Optical Coatings | |
| Wearables | Watches and jewelries | Black diffuse surfaces Black absorber Visible light absorption | super dark material black-out material | Vacuum Black Magic Black Metal VelvetLambertian Black | Martin Black Black Paints Black anodize |
| Bioanalytics | PCR testing | Lower background noise | Low fluorescence coating | Metal Velvet Magic Black |