Use of the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) technique for determination of the composition of final phosphate coatings on grain-oriented electrical steel

Analysing each of the important constituents separately enabled their specific absorption bands to be identified, and laboratory trials produced spectra that exhibited a good agreement with theoretical predictions. Analysis of samples coated under production conditions was found to be more challenging due to the detection of an underlying forsterite layer. However, there is potential for FTIR analysis when using regions of the spectra that were unaffected by this compound.