Infrared integrating sphere

Abstract

Disclosed is an integrating sphere for measuring the diffuse reflectivity of material samples in the infrared. The sphere is disposed in an airtight vacuum chamber under an atmosphere that does not absorb in the infrared. The sphere has two positions at which a sample may be mounted, one on a rod at the sphere's center, another on the sphere's wall, each mounting position corresponding to two different modes of testing samples. The rod acts as a mounting pedestal for a center mounted sample, and is rotatably mounted about its elongate vertical axis so that the sample can rotate with the rod in a horizontal plane. The rod penetrates the sphere and the chamber, and terminates in a knob or handle by which the rod can be rotated to position the sample at a preselected angle. Adjacent to the position for wall mounting, there is a sample heater. This configuration allows one to measure diffuse reflectance of a sample as a function of incidence angle and temperature. In the center-mount configuration, the handle enables one to anglularly reposition a center mounted sample without the need to vent and replenish the chamber's atmosphere after each test.