FTIR Enhances Water Measurement in Pyroxenes

FTIR Enhances Water Measurement in Pyroxenes

New Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy methods have improved the analysis of hydroxyl absorbance in anisotropic nominally anhydrous minerals such as pyroxenes.¹

These approaches acquire large numbers of angle-resolved polarised spectra between 0° and 180°, which are processed and visualised to identify spectral endmembers in the Si–O overtone region.¹

By grouping mutually perpendicular spectra, the authors reduced uncertainty in H₂O quantification, demonstrating a more reliable measurement of water content in these otherwise anhydrous rocks.¹

Published on 15 October 2026 in volume 38 of the European Journal of Mineralogy, pages 583–627, the study provides experimental protocols and computational tools for this enhanced FTIR technique.¹

The research team—Nils B. Gies, Jörg Hermann, Georgia Cametti, and Sonja Aulbach—shown that their method can be extended beyond single-angle measurements, achieving up to 30% lower error margins compared with traditional approaches.¹