Near-IR Spectroscopic Determination of NaCl in Aqueous Solution

The concentrations of NaCl in aqueous solutions have been determined with the use of near-IR spectra between 1100 and 1900 nm. Models expressing the concentration of NaCl are developed with linear and nonlinear regression with the use of the absorbances at selected wavelengths and with principal component regression (PCR) using entire spectra. Temperature perturbations on water bands interfere with the measurement of NaCl but can be removed by linear or nonlinear regressions using the absorbances at the wavelengths where the temperature effects are zero, or they can be accounted for by PCR. Standard errors of 5 mM and a detection limit of IS mM are obtained for NaCl. This technique can be applied for quantitative analysis of NaCl in the laboratory or can be readily adapted for continuous monitoring in process control.